Run Devil Run
by pinkpocket23
Summary: In a world where assassins are steadily rising in power, a young woman will strive to find out the dark secrets of her past. In doing so, friends will become enemies, and if she's not careful, she'll fall prey to a love so dark, it could kill her. "Step into my darkness, and you'll die..." AU. #5
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **All rights belong to the respected author, Higuchi Tachibana.

I take no credits for any of the movie quotes used. All quotes belong to its respected films.

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**Run Devil Run**

**.**

"Oh Yes, there will be blood."

**-Saw II (2005)**

**Prologue**

.

He sat in a dark room in the seat of his chair in front of a giant computer screen, arms laxly folded behind his head with one leg situated over his thigh.

His brows knitted together with a click of his tongue as his fingers absentmindedly played with his reddish-brown bangs.

Three languorously long beeps came about from his computer, and a sigh escaped his lips as he waited diligently for it to finish loading. Tired from the long patience, he cursed under his breath and was just about to kick the damn thing, until suddenly…

The computer finally completed its processing. _"Target located." _

He sighed in satisfactory this time, propping a leg on top of the keyboard. "It's about damn time," he muttered sullenly while reaching out his finger for a certain red button.

The computer beeped twice. _"Target loaded. Now processing file."_

The man hummed a small tune as he waited, and couldn't help but shudder with excitement. He clicked his tongue and said, "I wonder what she looks like now…"

"Still tracking her like always, huh, Reo?"

Crisp, blunt words spoken with a drop of arrogance hinted behind them. It was no mistake as to who the person was.

Reo smirked in response as he turned his head to the direction of the monotone voice. Amusement flickered within his teal-green eyes as he said, "You know me all too well, don't you…"

A faint snort came from the dark figure that stood leaning against a wall in the shadows.

"I still don't know why you want her." He folded both arms across his chest with a sigh. "She's evaded your hands for the longest, and it's starting to make you look so desperate that it's pathetic."

"It's been ten long years since I've been tracking her," Reo muttered to himself in thought. He cupped his chin within the palm of his hand and laughed a little to himself. "It does piss me off a little bit. But… as long as that woman's alive," his brows creased together, "I'll never be able to rest. I have to play it safe."

"…Don't tell me you're afraid," the rugged voice scoffed, sarcasm embedded within his dry tone.

Reo laughed at the smart-aleck remark and shook his head, "Hardly. However, seeing as that I happen to run one of the largest assassin corporations in the country, I can't take any chances with her." He shrugged and added, "Even though my 'work' isn't technically legal. But, oh well."

Next, two more sudden beeps came about. _"Process completed."_

"Ah," Reo clicked his tongue expectantly, "here we go."

His eyes roamed over the presented image of a young woman that was plastered over the computer screen.

Her long brown hair hung freely upon her shoulders. She wore a red leather jacket with a pair of black shades covering her eyes. Reo studied the given picture with an amused grin. He couldn't help but marvel at how much different the woman looked in his eyes compared to what she was back then.

"Mikan Sakura, huh?" the husky voice asked suddenly, interrupting his boss from his thoughts. "That's her, right?"

Reo grinned and nodded. "She's grown so much since then. Despite her innocent…'cuteness,' she's not the type to play mind games with. She has a sharp brain and is very skilled in the analyzing field." He snorted a little under his breath. "Hm… No wonder she's a cop now."

A faint rustle came from the background followed by a disapproving sigh. "That woman's been annoying the hell out of me."

Breathing out a sigh of his own, Reo gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "She's been on the pursuit for a while now. Her persistence for tracking down the most _notorious_ assassin alive is her primary goal." A small grin thinned at his lips as he said, "You'd better watch your steps these days…"

Disenchanted, the stoic voice grumbled out, "Are you trying to be funny?"

"I'm sorry," Reo smirked, doing his best to hold back a laugh. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"So? Are you going after her?"

"No," Reo answered with a shake of his index finger. "I plan to lay low for a while until the cop raids settle down. Instead, I've decided to leave the dirty work to the others under their respected leader. It's… easier for me that way."

Another snort came about. "Leaving me to do the dirty work? That's some lame bull for an excuse."

Reo shrugged simply. "Like I said, I'm playing it safe." He grinned and turned his head to the direction of the figure still looming in the shadows. "Well? What do you think? Care to take on the challenge?"

A young man removed himself away from the wall as he casually stepped his way out of the dark shadows. His crimson eyes blazed a brilliant shade of metallic red as he smirked.

"She's as good as dead."

**.**

And the hunt begins!

I've been looking forward to making this story. Ah… summer jobs can be a bummer when it comes to writing.

Well don't be shy awesome reader. Click on to the next chapter. :)


	2. Red Eyed Monster

**Disclaimer: **All rights belong to the respected author, Higuchi Tachibana. The rest of the characters belong to me.^^

May contain minor OOC.

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**.**

"I am Dracula. I bid you welcome."

**-Dracula (1931)**

**Chapter 1: Red Eyed Monster**

**.**

The droplets of cold rain continued to pelt against the damp ground.

Murky-like clouds gathered together over a grey filled sky.

A ghosting wind whistled through the skinny branches of forest trees as the rain gradually started to fall harder. Thunder erupted like the bellowing sound of a resonating drum as it echoed over the land.

Amidst the storming wind and pouring rain, a young woman was running anxiously throughout the forest.

Her footsteps splashed about through the many mud puddles, careful not to make a fatal slip.

A slight pang entered her chest as she panted out in heavy breaths. She used her hands to brush away the many branches that blockaded her path.

Once she felt that she had the upper hand in speed, her head would turn every so often, looking back to see if she was still being followed. The wet strands of her auburn hair clung to her eyes, making it difficult to see anything.

As if the hard and pelting rain wasn't already enough, the extra added weight coming from her pea coat only made it harder for her to run.

The pain in her chest was building and she so badly wished to stop running. But she didn't dare to stop now.

_**Bang!**_

The cracking sound of a gun sounded off along with another roar of thunder as a bullet grazed by the woman's arm. She winced in response to the sudden pain but refused to give in.

"Woo-hoo! I got her!" a masculine voice laughed excitedly in the background.

The woman turned her head back slightly to find a shadowy figure making its way closer to her, and flinched at the sound of footsteps closing in.

He was just a few feet from behind her, a shotgun strapped around his chest and a wicked smile grazing at his lips. His jet black hair whipped with the wind and his blue eyes were cold, dark with a hint of wild within them.

Ready for aim, he cocked back the trigger of his _Benelli M3_ model shotgun, and steadied himself for the next bullet. "Come on, sweetheart!" he cooed, giving a chilling laugh with a smug grin. "Don't go shy on me now!"

_**Bang!**_

"Ah!" the woman screamed as she made a slight turn to her left to evade the speeding bullet.

Her foot suddenly slipped upon a hidden branch buried within the ground.

She stumbled over a small cliff and fell with a surprised shriek as she found herself falling forward. The wind roared throughout the air as she tumbled downwards among a steep hill, both of her arms cradling her body to protect her from harm.

Her breath hitched as she came crashing forward, only to land in a huge puddle of mud.

The sudden taste of copper and dirt instilled her mouth. "Damn," she muttered under her breath, wiping away the bit of blood from her bottom lip.

She panted out in heavy breaths, doing her best to breathe in the much needed air. After resting a little in a dirty wet hole full of mud, she felt the strength rising again within her legs, and decided that it was time to make a move.

Her chestnut hair was getting too wild with the whipping wind, and she gave a click of her tongue as she pulled her wet strands back into a long ponytail.

Feeling a little relieved, the woman sighed and pulled out a walkie from her coat pocket. "Shiro," she said expectantly, "I need you to bring the car on up from the hills in less than ten minutes. I'm located 150 degrees east from you." The only response she received was the sound of broken static. Her brows furrowed together in worry. "I wonder if he heard me…"

"Sweetheart!" a rugged voice called aloud in a singsong voice, "Where are you?"

A gasp escaped the woman's lips at the sudden voice.

She looked back up to where she had fallen and gave a small sigh of relief to see that nothing was there. Still, she needed to find somewhere to rest and gather her strength; there was no telling where her pursuer could be hiding.

It was then that her eyes caught sight of what appeared to be a rundown cottage just a few feet up ahead.

Wincing a little in pain, she did her best not to put too much force on her wounded right arm while moving. Her feet trudged through the muddy waters of grass and long reeds until finally; she had reached her desired destination.

"Alright now," she panted out, stepping closer to the cottage, "I should be okay in here."

Eyes open and alert, the woman made her way inside as her footsteps creaked among the old wooden floor.

Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the interior of the old cottage: Spider webs were located in just about every small nook and cranny. The roof was nearly caving in with the few droplets of rain slowly dripping its way through the cracks.

Finding a good spot in a dark corner, she limped her way over and sighed at the expense of finally being able to rest. She let her back slowly slide down against the wall. She could feel the blood oozing out from the wound on her arm and bit her lip, doing her best to fight back the pain.

Her eyes rolled at the sight of her pea coat, groaning as she studied the excessive amount of mud that was practically splattered all over the cardinal red cotton material.

"Oh, just great," she grunted sullenly. "This coat cost a lot of money …"

Her eyelids were starting to become heavy as she allowed them to close, loving the comforting sound of the pelting rain coming from outside.

At last, the hard part was done and now, all she had to do was wait it out until her ride came for her.

"Mikan Sakura…"

The sudden silky monotone voice nearly made the woman flinch as she finally realized that she was no longer alone.

She stirred in her sleep, eyes opening in surprise to find a samurai blade pointing its sharp edge at her nose.

Her brown eyes slowly trailed up from the sword, to a muscular physique body, and then all the way up to the sight of alluring teal-grey eyes and silver hair.

"Youichi Hijiri…"

Skeptical, the young man arched a brow in response. "You know my name?" he asked.

Mikan nodded, ignoring the narrowed glare as she smiled up at him. "Well, of course. You're known to be an infamous killer in the assassin world." She held up her wounded arm and said, "I even know of your charming sidekick who did the honors of getting a good shot off me."

"That right?" Youichi snorted out, finding a little humor about the subject. "So, that idiot can come in handy at times…"

Mikan nodded again as she tried to shift in her position on the floor. Hoping to be discreet as possible, she slipped her other free hand into the side pocket of her pea coat, and tried to slip out a pocketknife in between her forefinger and thumb.

"Don't bother," Youichi sneered, causing the brunette to cease from moving. His grey eyes flickered with a murderous intent. "Unlike the fool who gave you that wound, I'm not foolish enough to let my prey go free."

The brunette laughed a little under her breath. "That's quite a shocker. And here I was thinking that you would the more passive type." She studied the young man's face, taking in the handsome features and concluded that… he was quite attractive. "You look really young. You have to be what, around the age of eighteen?"

Youichi frowned at the idle chatter. "Don't let my age fool you," he replied blandly. "Now then…" He moved a step closer, removing his blade away from the woman's nose and pressed the tip hard against her chest. "How shall I kill you? Will it be the neck first? A slice of the arm?" The blade cut through the cotton-red material of the woman's coat. "Or should I just save us both the trouble and plunge this blade straight through your heart?"

Mikan looked at the blade then back to her killer.

Sweat was exuding out from her pores all the way down to her collarbone. Her two front teeth overlapped her bottom lip as she pondered over what to do next.

She studied the young man before her. It was obvious that he happened to be very skilled in the area of killing.

His forearm was stern with his hand clenched tightly around the grip of his katana. His eyes were unmoving, almost like that of a cobra as his grey irises focused in on his prey.

Mikan mentally cursed to herself for being put in such a dangerous position.

_I can't get away..._

Youichi steadied his aim with his sword. "Our boss has been hunting you for a long time… I can't imagine what it is about you that's always putting him on edge. You're clearly not worth the trouble." He snorted under his breath, brushing the thought away. "Do you think that I'll aim straight for your heart, or will I simply make you writher in pain and let you die slowly?"

He raised his blade and shifted it downwards, ready to annihilate his captive.

Unable to look, Mikan closed her eyes in fear, awaiting the oncoming pain until suddenly…

_**Scrreeech! **_

The screeching sound of tires erupted into the background.

Suddenly, a royal blue jeep came crashing into the old cottage right out of nowhere, causing the wooden walls to break as if a tremor from an earthquake had commenced.

Everything shook uncontrollably as the cottage collapsed.

"What the hell?" Unable to control his balance, Youichi stumbled backwards into a pile of rocks and wood.

Mikan covered her head with her arms to avoid the falling aftermath. She coughed, blinking her eyes through the air of dust, and then gasped at the sudden sight of a familiar vehicle parked right in front of her.

The door to the passenger's side swiftly opened, revealing a young man with snow-white hair. His emerald eyes rested on the sight of a brunette and a smug grin thinned at his lips. "Your carriage has arrived, princess."

Mikan smiled brightly in return and wasted no time as she ran to the car.

Realizing that his prey was about to make her escape, Youichi tried to sit upright but to no avail. He winced in response to the stinging pain coming from his now broken, arm and muttered a curse of breath.

Mikan situated herself in the passenger's seat and was about close the door, but not without giving a taunting grin to her almost 'killer of the night.'

"Sorry," the brunette said with a wink. "Guess I won't be sticking around to find out the answer." With that being said, the car door was slammed shut and the jeep immediately sped off.

Youichi felt a ticking nerve coming on. His eyes narrowed in disgust at the sight of the retreating jeep.

"That wench…"

_**Vrroom!**_

A young man pressed his foot harder on the pedal as he flared the engine to his jeep.

His white hair whipped through the air with the blowing wind as he swung an arm over the edge of the window. He kept one hand laxly attached to the steering wheel as he focused on the road ahead.

He basked a charming smile to his companion. "Glad to have you back, little lady," he teased.

"It's about time, Shiro," Mikan grunted, taking down the auburn tresses of her ponytail and running a hand through the dirt strands. "I waited way too long."

"Come on, Mikan," Shiro laughed, ignoring the scowl coming from his favorite little brunette, "don't be like that. I went through a lot of trouble to get here, you know."

Ignoring the humoristic play from her partner, Mikan smiled and rolled her eyes. She tried to shift in her seat until a sudden pain came about. "Ah!" she cried, gripping the bleeding wound to her arm. "Oh, man, this is really starting to hurt."

"Are you alright?"

Mikan smiled wistfully and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a little wound that's all, nothing to worry about."

Shiro's brows knitted together at the lack of concern in the woman's voice. "Dammit, Mikan," he breathed out, doing his best to keep both eyes straight ahead on the road while driving. "Don't you know when to quit while you're ahead? That's just like you to act like a klutz. Who told you to go off on your own and become the hero by sneaking inside of the damn place?"

The brunette groaned tiredly, clearly not in the mood for being lectured to. "I was just trying to gather information," she defended.

"By acting stupid," Shiro quickly added.

Mikan clicked her tongue and turned to face the man to her left. "Oh, like you could've done any better?"

"And end up almost dead like you?" Shiro scoffed, sarcasm embedded within his voice. He paused for a good second after that and said, "Hm… Now that I take the time to think about it, that idea doesn't sound half bad. Sounds pretty fun." He shook his head with a sigh and decided to change the subject. "So? What cha get, bring home any good meat?"

Excited, Mikan pulled out a digital camera from the pocket of her pea coat and wiped the bit of excessive dirt away from the lens.

"I took some pictures of wanted assassins whose faces have yet to be printed out for the public eye," she said proudly. "I even recorded some evidential footage of weapons being sold on the black market."

Shiro whistled lightly. "Niiice," he nodded in approval. "Guess you getting all cut up and bruised didn't go to waste after all."

"I would've liked to have gotten more," Mikan sighed. "But I was found out too soon and had to jet out of the building."

"I lost track of you soon after that," came Shiro's irritated grunt of displeasure. "Do you know how freaked out I was when I didn't know where the hell you were? I mean, seriously." He shot a warning glare in Mikan's direction after hearing her laugh. "You have a bad habit at doing things all on your own."

Mikan held back another laugh. "Aw, were you worried?"

Shiro opened his mouth to speak but responded with another grunt of breath. "Don't go there with me, Sakura," he warned. "You know very well that Persona would never let me live it down if something were to happen to his best spy." As if a chill had suddenly caught him by, he shuddered and quickly added, "Not to mention your uncle."

Mikan folded both hands behind her head and asked, "How far until we get to Alice Headquarters?"

"Hm… I'd say we'll get there by morning." Shiro laughed after hearing a groan. "Relax," he said reassuringly, a smug grin playing at his lips. "I'm the one driving, remember? We'll be there in no time."

**.**

Tuesday, 9:05am

**Alice Headquarters**

**Police Department and Justice Defense**

Building Number: 1609-23

"This might sting a little…"

A certain brunette was being tended to as she sat on a bed in the small room of the nurse's office.

"Ow!" Mikan winced in response to the burning sting of alcohol. It felt as if a dog had sunk its teeth into her delicate skin as the pain continued to circulate. "Man, it's like my arm is on fire or something," she said, giving a few light blows to her wound.

The nurse smiled reassuringly as she poured rubbing alcohol onto another cotton ball. "It's to be expected after the stunt that you pulled, Miss Sakura," she said as if scolding a child. She instructed her to hold out her arm again. "Come on now. Just a few more dabs and we're through."

Pouting out her bottom lip, Mikan hesitated a little before doing as she was told. The fiery feeling came fast again and her eyes immediately shut closed.

"Damn…" she cursed through gritted teeth.

Wincing in response to the vulgar language, the nurse only sighed. "Watch that mouth, young lady," she warned.

Suddenly, three light knocks came about as the door slowly opened.

"Knock, knock!" Shiro popped his white head of hair from the side of the door and grinned, forming a peace sign with his two fingers. "Hey, there she is! How is my favorite partner doing, Kana-san?"

The nurse spared a quick glance at the young man before giving a roll of her eyes. "She's just fine," she drawled, finishing up the final dab of alcohol to the brunette's arm. "But her mouth could use some work." She narrowed her eyes in Shiro's direction. "I think that she's been hanging around too many _men_ lately, Shiro."

Shiro rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "Ah, well she is a woman. It's only natural."

Kana finished gathering her supplies together and grabbed her clipboard from off a counter. "Yes, well," she sighed, shaking her head, "she's free to go whenever. I just hope that the next mission you two are assigned won't involve extra added stitches."

Shiro winked and grinned. "Sure thing, Kana-san. Don't worry."

Kana only responded with a small grunt, muttering something like _"Kids these days…"_ under her breath along with another shake of her head and took her leave.

"Alright, I love you too, Kana-san," Shiro sung teasingly as he waved the nurse goodbye.

His dark emerald eyes glistened with amusement as he studied a flustered brunette.

Mikan arched an eyebrow. "…What?"

Shiro smirked. "You look terrible." He pocketed both hands into his jeans as he approached Mikan's bed. "Did you really have to get stitches?"

"Just a couple," she shrugged indifferently. "Luckily, the wound wasn't that deep. It should heal in a few days."

Shiro nodded, "Ah, that's nice." He situated himself against the wall, crossing both arms over his chest. "So? How do you feel?"

Mikan fixed her posture, straightening up her back and smiled. "I feel great. In fact, I feel good enough to go get a bite to eat."

Shiro gasped and lit up. "Like going on a date?" he asked hopefully, eyes pleading.

He grabbed Mikan's hand, intertwining their fingers together and she arched a skeptic brow in return. "We've established this before, Shiro," she said as if she were scolding a five year old. "We. Are. Just. Friends. Remember that."

He snorted under his breath, and brushed her finger away as she gave a playful tap to his nose. Crossing both arms over his chest in petulance, he muttered sullenly, "Yeah, yeah, I know." He smirked teasingly. "But I'm afraid that you can't go just yet. There's someone here to see you."

Confused by those words, Mikan was just about to ask what he meant until the sound of the door creaked open.

Making his appearance, a tall man with long legs and pale skin came inside.

His dark hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail that seemed to go well with his all black attire. His purple eyes were alluringly bold, hinted with a flicker of amusement as he stared at the little brunette who appeared to be more than surprised to see him.

Mikan looked to Shiro, grumbled from the pit of her diaphragm, and mouthed the words, _"You're so dead."_

Not one for sticking around in awkward situations, Shiro laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. He gave a respectful bow to the new coming visitor, opened the door, and grinned while waving, "Bye-bye!"

A quiet hush fell over the room almost like that of a ghost town as the two figures were left to stare at each other in silence.

Mikan did her best to sit up straight and presented a chest cough as if to speak, but found her throat to be… a little dry at the moment.

Footsteps echoed about the room as the man steadily approached the patient sitting on the bed. He took notice of the brunette's sudden tenseness and couldn't help but smirk.

"Mikan Sakura," his voice spoke smoothly. "I'm glad to see that you're still alive."

"Persona…!" The name came out as a shocking breath of air from Mikan's mouth after finally finding the words to speak. She quickly covered her mouth as if she had said something rude. "Ah, I-I um… I mean, chief…" She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head and waved, "Hi?"

Persona clicked his tongue, "You were pretty reckless do you know that?" He folded both hands casually behind his back. "Infiltrating enemy territory all on your own? That wasn't your place to decide, young lady."

Mikan opened her mouth to speak, but closed it with second thoughts. "I was just… trying to do my job properly, that's all." Once taking notice of the disapproving scowl being sent her way, she frowned, and quickly defended, "Aren't I considered the ultimate brain when it comes to deriving plans and carrying out spy assignments? I really brought home some good information this time. My goal was−"

"Natsume Hyuuga…"

"Eh?" Mikan blinked twice, flinching a little at the sudden name. "What do you−?"

"Mikan," Persona sighed, his dark eyes flickering over to the brunette. He arched an eyebrow. "You should know me pretty well by now. I'm no fool and I'm not blind when it comes to your motives." Mikan gulped and he smirked. "You went off on your own to see if '_he' _would be there, correct? The one assassin that you've devoted your whole life to searching for − even to the ends of the earth."

Mikan looked down to the floor. A look of frustration ebbed on her face. "He's something that I can't catch, Persona…" she said to herself. "There were so many assassins in that building that night… I knew that he just had to be among_ one _of them."

Persona sighed, "When you don't even know what he looks like?" He smiled at the bemused expression on the brunette's face and pulled out a medium-sized picture from his pocket. "I've got something good," he said, handing the photo to Mikan, "though the photo is a little blurry. But I think it should do for you."

Mikan scanned over the picture and gasped in shock. "This is…!"

It was an obscure photo of a dark figure looming in the shadows. The entire body was outlined in black, making it very difficult to tell whether or not if the photo was actually of a person.

What took Mikan by surprise was the haunting color of crimson red eyes that just seemed to stand out. They were a brilliant shade of red, almost scary in fact. It felt as if they were staring only at her and it sent shivers down her spine.

Mikan slowly raised her head and stared at Persona in awe. "H-how did you get this? And where?"

Persona shrugged. "I have my ways," he replied, grinning at the expense of the woman's excitement. "I knew that you'd like it. What do you think?"

Mikan shook her head in disbelief, still marveling at the photo in her hands. "It's…amazing! This might just be the only actual descriptive piece of evidence to go with the legend." Her finger brushed lightly over the picture as she frowned to herself in thought. "Red eyes that shine in the dark shadows... A color−"

"A color like that of a monster," Persona finished aloud. He closed his eyes with a small smile thinning at his lips. "A killer who thirsts for blood. He's ruthless and attacks faster than light itself. Natsume Hyuuga…"

Mikan arched a brow. "You know your stuff," she approved.

Persona grinned in response. "I have to. I'm head chief, you know." He clicked his tongue as if suddenly remembering something and snapped his fingers. "He's made another kill this morning."

"Already?" Mikan asked, shocked. Her mouth dropped open for a few seconds before she was able to come back to realization. "Man, he sure moves fast… D-did any of our teams find any leads to his whereabouts? Or where he might be next?"

Persona nodded. "We have a lead. As always, it's his style to leave behind a card especially scribed with red, bold ink. The card always tells us where and what he'll do next when it comes to his next kill." He laughed a little to himself. "I feel like he's toying with us…"

"This has been going on for too long," Mikan said frustrated, twirling a finger around one her auburn strands. "I'm sick of his mind games. He's… He's a sick person!"

"You don't really have the time to be thinking about others, do you?"

"…What do you mean?"

Rather than answering the question, Persona simply reached into his pocket and pulled out a neatly folded letter. "Here," he said, handing the paper to Mikan, "he wanted to me to give this to you."

Curios, Mikan arched a skeptic brow as she unfolded the letter.

Her eyes read over the contents at least twice before they widened like saucers, and she gasped. "It's uncle Kazumi's handwriting…"

Persona shoved both hands into his pockets and leaned against the side of the wall. "As soon as the President of Alice Headquarters heard of your little…'accident,' he cancelled all of his meetings in America, and arranged a plane to come straight home immediately. He should be here by tomorrow. Supposedly, he wants to talk to you."

Mikan's eyes rolled. "I am so dead…"

"Enjoy what little time you have." Persona grinned smugly and patted Mikan's brown head of hair. "Now then," he said cheerfully, "aren't you glad that I gave you that picture?"

Mikan scrunched her nose. "…You're such a jerk, you know that?" She snorted and refocused her attention back to her photo.

Her brows furrowed together as she studied the two penetrating ruby-red orbs that sent a small chill to the hair of her arms. The same eyes that belonged to the man of whom she had sworn to catch no matter what.

"Natsume Hyuuga…"

**-(Preview)-**

"**He's become the target of your insane obsession."**

She looked back at him, confidence blazing within her eyes.** "I'll definitely catch him."**

"… **That's exactly why he's decided to have you play a special part."**

**.**

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.

This story will be pretty fun. I hope you enjoy the rest of what's to come.

Thanks so much for reading! Reviews are very much appreciated. :)


	3. Her Obsession

**Disclaimer: **White-haired Shiro is my own character. Everything else goes to Higuchi-sensei.

**.**

"We all go a little mad sometimes."

**-Norman Bates. (Psycho, 1960)**

**Chapter 2: Her Obsession**

**.**

"This is just great…"

A brunette was busy sulking over what to eat for her morning breakfast, eager to kill the annoying hunger pains.

Her hazel eyes scoured over the many unwanted contents inside of her refrigerator: A half-eaten slice of strawberry cheesecake, a carton of expired milk, two bell peppers, and a container of leftover spaghetti from yesterday's late night meal.

Perfect…

Mikan huffed, flashed her eyes all over her half empty refrigerator once more, and tussled at her auburn hair with another sigh. "It's all crap," she groaned aloud while slamming the refrigerator door shut.

The one day that she's off from work, and there's nothing to eat…

Seeing that eating a bowl of cereal was out of the question, Mikan turned her hopes to the answer of oatmeal while looking through the cupboard. She was sure that there had to be a box of the wheat cereal around somewhere. Instead, her hopes were in vain as she found only a box of corn meal and a small can of tuna.

"Aw, man… There's nothing in here for me to… Oh!" Gasping in surprise, her face suddenly lit up at the sight of a pink bag with her two favorite words seen in big, bold letters. "Fluff puffs!"

She squealed like a little kid in a candy store, snatched up the bag and after opening it, popped a pink cotton fluff in her mouth and almost died from satisfaction of the sweet substance.

"Nothing like starting off a Wednesday morning energized full of sugar," she sung happily, popping another fluff puff into her mouth.

After finally finding something to satisfy her pallet, the brunette found a comfortable spot on her couch, and propped her legs up into a relaxing position as she reached out for the remote from off of her coffee table.

"Wonder what's showing today," she yawned while turning on the TV.

She flipped through channel after channel, rolling her eyes at the sight of Pokémon and after her tenth try, decided to just leave it on the news channel instead.

The TV showed a giant headliner at the bottom of the screen that read:_ Breaking Channel 12 News!_

A brunette with pink highlights holding a microphone appeared on the screen and announced, _"This just ended, folks! Natsume Hyuuga has made another kill once again!"_

"What!"

That one name was all it took for Mikan to suddenly jump upright and flip over her couch. She choked on another bite of fluff puffs, stumbled her way back into a sitting position, and reached out for the remote to turn up the volume to the TV.

"Wha- *cough!* what did she just say?"

The reporter continued, _"Just last night, the notorious assassin was spotted in a business warehouse where he slayed his next victim. Now as usual, the crafty and devious Natsume Hyuuga always leaves behind a card scribed with red ink to inform the world of when and where his next kill will be. And last night was no different. Just as predicted, he appeared at the warehouse at the expected time, claiming to take the life of the famous and now deceased business owner, Mr. Kenji Yamato." _

"Mr. Yamato?" Mikan gasped. She recalled the name… He was known to be a very wealthy and powerful man in the business world. "Who would've thought that someone like him would pass off…?"

"_Cops surrounded the warehouse everywhere, waiting for the killer to make his arrival, but had no luck in seeing him show. No one has seen him. No one…except for a regular employed staff member, who goes by the name, CK."_

The reporter signaled the camera to zoom in as she came to stand next to a middle-aged looking man with an unkempt, long beard.

"_According to Mr. CK, Natsume Hyuuga was seen Thursday, at 11:53pm to conduct his next kill. I'm here with Mr. CK now, and am just dying to know the details of what happened." _She turned to the man with a small smile and said, _"Please tell us in your own words Mr. CK. What exactly did you see?"_

The man ruffled a hand through his dirty beard and cleared his throat. _"Well, I was working my regular late shift, as I always do on Thursday nights," _he started.

"Oh, here we go," Mikan sighed and rolled her eyes, leaning back against the cushions of her couch. "The _'I take too long to get to the point because I'm on TV,'_ type of guy…"

Mr. CK continued with his story, _"My boss and I normally stayed overtime to catch up on some stocking for the ships that comes by through the docks. We were both inside the warehouse while the cops were guarding us from the outside. But I had to go take a dump and there wasn't a toilet inside. So, I left to go use one of the porter potties outside while my boss, Mr. Yamato, stayed behind to count off the supplies." _

Tired from the long talking, Mikan groaned and popped another fluff puff into her mouth. "Just get to the point already…"

"_So, I'm in the porter potty doing my business, and the next thing I know, a bloodcurdling scream comes right out of no damn where. So, I rush out and come back inside to take a look. And I'll be damn! The thing that I saw was no man. He was a monster!"_

By this time, Mikan's eyes were practically glued to the TV as she stared back attentively to the screen.

"_He had red eyes that glowed in the dark and a long sword drenched in blood," _Mr. CK continued. "_Poor Mr. Yamato's body was laid out flat and cut open where I could see all of his insides. Then after seeing me, the monster came lunging after me with his blade and I screamed for help. That was when the cops started showing up, but it was too late. The monster fled, almost running with the wind as he disappeared into the dark shadows." _

The reporter nodded empathetically. _"How do you feel about all of this, Mr. CK? What's going through your mind?"_

"_The color of red,"_ Mr. CK hushed out, shuddering to himself in thought. _"I'll never forget those eyes… They'll haunt me for the rest of my life." _

A brief moment of silence passed as the reporter stared back at the camera with a slightly perturbed expression. She exhaled and finished, _"There you have it. Once again, the legendary assassin (whose face still has yet to be revealed), Natsume Hyuuga, has proven that he is still a monster unrelenting and untamed. Question is: Who and when will be the next victim on his list? This has been Sophea, of channel 12 news. Now, let's go to" _

_**Click!**_

Mikan used the remote to turn off the TV as she sat on her couch in silence. The stirring news of the notorious assassin committing another murder made her somewhat uneasy and frustrated all in one.

A sense of guilt started eating at her on the inside. Her brows knitted together as she thought about the poor victim who had met an untimely death. Deep down, she felt partially responsible.

She held the proud reputation as one of the best undercover cops who could track down any killer, regardless of how lethal they were.

It was an honor to hold such a high position, something that she was very proud of. Yet despite the many number of killers that she had tracked down in the past, she couldn't even get her hands on just one. It was…sickening.

Mikan slowly arose from the couch with a sigh and made her way towards her bedroom. "I might as well get dressed now," she yawned, stretching out her back. "I'm supposed to meet Uncle Kazumi at headquarters soon."

Just before she could start rummaging through her closet, her eyes suddenly caught glimpse of a uniquely shaped necklace sitting on top of her dresser.

A smile played at her lips as she walked over to pick up the necklace, admiring the glittering orange stone hanging off of the string.

It was as if a calm of tranquility came over her as she admired the beautiful color. She cradled the necklace in her hands before pecking the stone with a light kiss, and held it tightly to her chest. It was a treasure – a loving keepsake from her parents given to her as a child before they died.

Mikan shuddered, clutching the necklace closer to her chest as she recalled the bitter memory.

She'd never forget that night. The horrific moment where she witnessed the death of both of her parents right before her eyes. A night of terror, where her mother's scream echoed aloud with the smell of blood instilled with the cold night air. She'd never forget the terrifying gleam in the killer's eyes, how his lips curved into a delighted grin of satisfaction after taking the lives of whom she loved.

Her teeth gritted together just by remembering her dark past. She could never recall what life was like for her before the death of her parents, but she did know one thing.

All assassins were monsters.

A monster killed her parents. A monster took away everything that she loved. And _any _monster deserved to die for the murders that it committed.

Frowning to herself in thought, Mikan opened one of the drawers to her dresser and pulled out the obscure photo of red eyes that had been haunting her for the longest.

Those same red eyes belonged to the very man of whom she had sworn to catch no matter what. He was a menace to society, and was like a haunting relic of a past that she no longer wished to remember.

He reminded her of grief, pain, and sadness. The fact that a merciless killer like him was hunting freely throughout Japan sickened her.

"Natsume Hyuuga…" she said quietly to herself, brushing her finger over the photo. "No matter how many times I try, I can never catch you. You're the only thing that's standing in my way… And I swear that I'll hunt you down."

_**Beep! Beep! Beep!**_

"Eh?" Mikan blinked twice at the sudden sound of an alarm going off. She cocked her head, raised both brows, and gasped, "The alarm on my phone!"

Rushing like the wind, she zoomed back into the living room and slid across the tiled floor as she snatched up her pink blackberry from off of the kitchen counter. She groaned after looking at the time displayed on her phone.

"Oh, no…! I'm late for meeting up with Uncle Kazumi!"

* * *

**Alice Headquarters:**

**Police Department and Justice Defense**

* * *

Mikan stood in front of a tall mahogany colored door as her brown eyes studied the golden knob. She inhaled and exhaled a few times, testing herself to see if she was ready for what awaited just behind the door.

She clenched her sweaty palms into fists and rocked back and forth on the soles of her feet, biting her lip. Nervous, she lifted a hand to rest on the knob, and mentally told herself that after a count of three seconds, she would open the door.

"Okay," she whispered to herself, "what's waiting for you behind this door won't be that bad. It's okay, Mikan. It's okay." She gulped and slowly counted, "One… Two…"

"Come on in, Mikan," a stern voice called out authoritatively from behind the door.

Mikan's stance went rigid as she froze on the spot. She closed her eyes, smiling a little to herself.

_I knew it… _

After inhaling a small breath, she opened the door, poked her head around the corner, and laughed nervously while smiling. "How did you know it was me?"

A tall figure stood in the middle of the large scaled room, both hands firmly placed behind his back.

He had dirty-blonde hair that stopped short just above his neck. His brows were stern with his austere expression fixed specifically on a certain timid looking brunette.

"You have a poor habit of sneaking around," he said casually, signaling the young woman to enter into the room. "That wound on your right arm proves my point."

Mikan blinked twice and looked at the wound on her arm that she had received two nights ago. Damn… Of all the times for her to choose to wear a spaghetti strapped top.

She rubbed the back of her head and laughed a little to herself. "O-oh… I guess I deserved that." After clearing her throat she put on a smile and asked, "So, how are you today, Uncle Kazumi?"

Kazumi nodded in response and instructed his niece to take a seat in front of his desk.

He situated himself on the edge of his desk, folding both hands on top of his thigh. "Persona informed me about your little adventure from two days ago." He clicked his tongue. "Let me tell you, it was quite something, for me to get a voicemail paged on my phone about how my niece nearly died while I was away attending a formal meeting."

Mikan smiled weakly. "Haha… I… bet that you weren't too happy about that, huh?"

Kazumi arched an eyebrow. "Well, it wasn't anything fun," he sighed, scratching the bridge of his nose. His face transcended back into another stern military expression. "Care to explain?"

Knowing full well that her uncle wasn't one for beating around the bush, Mikan decided that it was best to explain herself fully. "O-okay… Here's the thing. I was just doing my mission like I was supposed to." She stopped to take in a small breath and said, "There was this lair filled with some of the most skilled assassins known throughout the world, and I thought that Natsume Hyuuga would be−"

"Natsume Hyuuga?" Kazumi asked, brows rising then creasing together at the name. "Is that what this is about? You risked your life just for the sake of possibly catching a man whose identity still has yet to be revealed? You don't even know what he looks like." Mikan flinched at the assertive tone in his voice. "What in the hell made you want to go and do a damn thing like that, Mikan?"

"I was doing just fine, Uncle Kazumi," Mikan defended. "I'm used to putting my life on the line in such situations. Besides, you know that I do undercover missions all the time."

"You've been hunting that man for years," Kazumi sighed, shaking his head as he stood up from off his desk. "What makes you think that you could possibly find any leads in catching a notorious assassin like him?"

Mikan looked down to the floor, brows furrowing together at her uncle's words. She looked back up at him, confidence blazing within her eyes. "I'll definitely catch him."

Kazumi's eyes rolled at the nonsensical idea. "He's become the target of your insane obsession…" He ran a hand through his hair and released another heavy sigh. "Mikan, don't you realize how much dangerous assassins are now? It's not as simple as tracking them down as if you were a bounty hunter or something."

"Then let him be my obsession," the brunette said, crossing both arms as she leaned back into her chair. "I'm obsessed with hunting down the most dangerous assassin alive ever known to man." Her voice was dowsed with sarcasm as she drawled, "Wow, _where_ did I go wrong?"

Kazumi frowned at his niece's adamant behavior and sighed again. "Mikan, you have to understand. Times are different now. We live in a time where assassins rule the world. It's legal for worldly known businessman and military personnel to hire such killers to be of assistance at their requests. In doing so, assassins are able to rise to a much higher status, thus gaining their own hierarchy and power."

"So, what you're saying is that what Natsume Hyuuga is doing is perfectly legal?"

"That's not what I said," Kazumi implied, his voice calm and firm. "What I'm _saying,_ is that you need to think twice next time before jumping into a lair full of skilled assassins who can take your life with just one shot of a bullet. You took it upon yourself to snoop around their property−"

"In which I had every right to do so," Mikan quickly interjected. "It was a mission especially given to me from Persona."

A low growl erupted from Kazumi. "In which you could have been killed," he pointed out, practically underlining the word for his stubborn niece. "Persona said to simply scout out the lair by taking down evidence from _afar._ Your only job was to check and see if there were any weapons being sold on the black market, and if there were any infamous assassins targeted on our wanted list. Instead, you chose to take the initiative by infiltrating enemy property all on your own for the sake of your own selfish reasons."

"How am I being selfish by wanting to catch one of the most dangerous assassins in the world?" Mikan asked, clearly not seeing anything wrong with her decision. "Natsume Hyuuga is a menace; h-he's a threat to society! I was just−"

"Don't," Kazumi's dry tone cut in, causing the brunette to sit back, "try and defend yourself by saying such things, young lady. The whole world knows what he is and that's no excuse for your actions. There are plenty of cops all over the world whose goal is to catch Natsume Hyuuga, not just you."

Unable to fumble up a quick remark, Mikan bit her lip, curled up both legs within her seat, and looked away. She rested her chin on top of her knees and remained silent.

Closing his eyes with a small sigh, Kazumi composed his voice and said, "May I remind you of the life that you once had? Of your past?"

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Please don't bring that up again, Uncle Kazumi," she groaned, knowing full well that he was going to do it anyway.

"Ever since you can remember," Kazumi began, "you had been locked away into a life of bloodshed and murder as a small child. After the regretful death of your parents, you were taken in by a well-known family of assassins."

Flinching a little in her seat, Mikan enwrapped her hands around the bottom half of her knees and frowned to herself in thought. "The Mouri family…"

"Correct," Kazumi said, clicking his tongue before quickly adding, "The Mouri family: A legendary group of skilled assassins that have been around for centuries." He came to stand in front of the brunette and his hard eyes softened. "After witnessing your parents' death, you blacked out and then awoke to find yourself taken as a hostage by assassins. You spent a hard life growing up as a child among the presence of killers, and in hopes of seeking to live a more satisfying life away from bloodshed, you decided to run away."

Mikan smiled weakly, extending a hand out towards her uncle. "And then I met you…"

Kazumi smiled back, pulling Mikan by the hand and out of her chair as she came to enwrap her arms around the bottom half of his waist.

"I found you, an eleven year old girl roaming the streets, all alone and lost in the world," he said, patting her brown head of hair. "You had so much sadness within those big brown eyes… and so much hope. And now…" He tipped her chin upwards and looked down with a proud smile. "You're a grown woman at the age of twenty-one, brave, strong, and blooming with beauty to match those brown eyes that I'm looking at right now."

Mikan laughed. "You took me in as your own, and I've been your favorite little niece ever since."

"You're my only niece," Kazumi snorted, giving a light flick to Mikan's forehead. "Don't you know how much it kills me to worry about you?"

"Don't you know how much it kills me for you to worry?" Mikan asked, patting her uncle's hard shoulder. "I'm twenty-one now, Uncle Kazumi. Not to mention that I'm one of the best undercover spies working under your control. You don't always have to protect me you know."

Kazumi arched a brow. "That's out of the question, seeing as how you're always one to go looking for trouble. My brother was just like you." He snorted a little to himself. "He always had to do things his own way, never one for listening to others."

"That's the one that you said that looked just like you, right, Uncle Kazumi?" Mikan asked him. "The one who passed away a few years ago?"

A wistful smile grazed at Kazumi's lips. "Yes, that's right… He was… the only light that I had in my life. A light that I couldn't protect." Looking down at a pair of brown eyes, he patted Mikan's head and smiled. "But now I have a new light, and I plan to protect it this time."

"You always say how much I resemble him," the brunette said, wrinkling her nose at the idea. "Was he a stern person like you?"

"What are you trying to say?" Kazumi laughed, giving another flick to the brunette's forehead. "No, he was the complete opposite of me. He had his own rules and a goofy smile that could make anyone forget about their troubles."

The brunette pouted while rubbing her forehead and smiled. "You're a kind person, Uncle Kazumi." She snorted under her breath and added, "Being the president of Alice Headquarters doesn't suit you at all."

"Don't try to sweet talk your way out of this, young lady," Kazumi said, bending down to pick up a suitcase from behind his desk. "I'm still thinking up a suitable punishment for you. But for now," he started for the door, resting a hand on the knob as he turned to look at his niece, "I've got a meeting to attend to, so it'll have to wait."

Mikan folded her hands over her chest with a devious smile. "You sure you want to leave me all alone in your big, _important _office?" she asked.

"You're twenty-one, right?" Kazumi challenged, grinning in return. He winked. "I trust that you'll be a good girl."

He smiled one last time before opening the door to take his leave. Mikan waved him goodbye and blew him a small kiss in the air as she watched him go. She leaned against the edge of the mahogany desk, and after sighing aloud, decided to pull out her pink blackberry in hopes of releasing some boredom.

Her brows rose in surprise to find the words: _1 New Message_ displayed on her screen.

"Huh? I wonder who's been texting me…"

She scanned over the message:

**From:** Shiro

**Sent: **11:34am

**Hey beautiful**

**We need 2 talk. Let's meet up?**

**.**

Sitting just outside of a pizza parlor, Mikan was busy finishing off another bite of her pepperoni.

Situated in a seat just across from her, Shiro gave a satisfied smile of his own as he stared at the cute brunette stuffing her face.

Shiro took a sip of his cola, sighing in delight at the crisp taste. "Isn't this nice? The two of us outside, eating pizza together, enjoying our date."

Mikan tore off another chunk of cheese from her pizza and rolled her eyes. "For the umpteenth time," she said in between bites of her pizza, "this is not a date, Shiro." She picked off a small pepper from her plate and threw it at Shiro's head.

"Chill out and relax, Sakura," Shiro laughed, picking the green pepper away from his white hair. He balled up a used napkin and threw it at his friend while saying, "We're having a great time either way."

Mikan dodged his poor throw easily and after taking a sip of cola, she arched an eyebrow. "What's your real reason for calling me out here, Shiro?"

Shiro rubbed the back of his head. "It's no fun if you're going to cut to the chase like that." He shrugged, fiddling with his unused napkin of silverware. "But, yeah, I did have a reason for meeting you."

"Which is?"

Shiro closed his eyes with a smirk. "You know how the 'notorious' Natsume Hyuuga is known for always leaving behind a card to tell when and what he'll do next?" He opened his eyes and smiled at the sight of the brunette's skeptical expression. "I've got something good for you."

Mikan watched in silence as Shiro reached into his denim jacket to pull out a half torn article from a newspaper. She furrowed her brows as she reached out to take a good look at it. "What's up with this?"

Shiro simply reached out for his cup of cola and took a sip of his drink. "Read it."

Mikan looked back to Shiro then back to the article in her hands.

She cleared her throat and then read, "'Breaking News: Natsume Hyuuga leaves behind another card inscribed with red ink. According to the information given, he will claim his next victim this Friday night, April 23, past ten o' clock at the famous Chinese restaurant, B.F. Changs. He says that he will arrive in style dressed in a fashionable tux while accompanied by a beautiful woman...'" Her voice trailed off in silence as she finished off the last sentence of the article. She looked back up at her friend, shock written all over her face. "Shiro, this…"

Shiro leaned back in his chair, propping his legs upon the edge of the table. "The legendary assassin finally decides to come out of the shadows and show his face to the world. Some cops from our team are already planning their move on how to take him out. And," he folded both hands behind his head, flashing a grin to the brunette, "seeing as that we're on the same team…I thought that it was only fair that you and I got a chance to have a little fun. What do you think, Mikan?"

"I'm so in!" Mikan practically shrieked, abruptly arising from the table. Her brown eyes lit up excitedly. "This is a once in a lifetime chance. I'm definitely going Friday night!"

"Sit down, sit down," Shiro hushed, a little embarrassed from the gawking stares given from the other seated customers. He inched his chair closer to the table and cleared his throat before saying, "And Persona thought you might say that. That's exactly why he's decided to have you play a special part."

That last sentence somewhat worried Mikan. She cocked her head as she sat back down, brows furrowing as if she didn't know whether or not to be happy about that fact.

"That… sounds interesting."

"Right?" Shiro laughed, slurping up another sip of his cola. He pulled out a piece of ice from his cup and popped it into his mouth. "Friday morning, Persona's requesting us to show up for a demonstration on how things will go down for our mission at The Melting Pot. Just think, Mikan. We'll be the first undercover cops from out of any other unit to go after such a legendary assassin!"

Mikan smiled, arching a brow. "You sure sound excited."

Shiro presented a chest cough. He scratched his nose, pretending to be cool. "So…how do you think your uncle will handle this?"

The brunette fell silent at the sudden question. _Oh, that's right…_

Instantly remembering the earlier chastening conversation that she had with her uncle, Mikan went rigid in her seat and looked down at her plate of unfinished pepperoni pizza.

As if coming to a decision, she bit her lip, and looked at Shiro confidently. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him…right?"

Shiro shrugged, crunching on another piece of ice. "Hey, it's your funeral."

Mikan decided to ignore her friend's sarcastic remark and returned her attention to the article in her hands. She could feel excitement along with the rushing adrenaline just at the thought of finally being able to capture the one man that's evaded her hands for the longest.

Friday night, Natsume Hyuuga would finally be hers…

**-(Preview)-**

He folded both arms casually behind his back and clicked his tongue.

"**There's been a small change of plans…"**

"**Don't go blaming me for what happened. Because you couldn't kill her, Natsume's gonna kill us instead!"**

**.**

I just wanted to say that I'm very grateful towards those who reviewed, added this story to their favorites, and…everything, lol. Thank you all so much for your kind support, I'm truly honored. ^_^

And now, what will happen between Natsume and Mikan… Hm…

Well, I hope that you enjoyed the second chap. Thanks for reading!

Review if you liked?


	4. Change of Plans

**Disclaimer: **No way Jose.

**.**

"You're going to need a bigger boat."

**-Jaws (1975)**

**Chapter 3: A Change of Plans**

**.**

**Thursday, 6:53am…**

The sky was a mid-morning grey infused with periwinkle and a dark coat of lavender. Clouds were gradually beginning to part ─ ready to make way for the incoming sun.

A hushing wind grazed over the dark waters of the sea, breaking apart the many misty clouds that had settled at the surface.

Two loud honks erupted into the air. Ready to set sail, a large ship began to take its departure as the fuming smoke fueled from the pipes. A flock of seagulls flew across the sea, their wings steadying with the blowing wind as they glided across the water.

Wearing a red, long-sleeved cotton shirt, a man stood just at the edge of the docks with both hands casually situated within his pockets. His reddish-brown bangs blew with the light wind as he closed his eyes, inhaling the fresh mid-morning air of the sea.

He lifted his wrist to catch the time of day from his watch, and after hearing a faint rustle coming from behind; he smiled a little to himself.

"You're late," he said expectantly, slightly turning his head to the left.

Another rustle came about along with a small snort of breath. A tall figure stood looming in the dark shadows against a brick wall. His red eyes glowed through the dark, narrowing at the man just a few feet in front of him.

"You should be happy that I decided to come at all," a rugged voice said in irritation. "You know that I'm not a morning person, Reo…"

Reo smirked, shaking his head. "It's that bad attitude that makes you so cute," he laughed a little to himself. "Well, then, let's get on with the subject." He lifted his hand in the air to catch a good feel of the morning breeze. "Poor Mr. Yamato never got another day to live to enjoy his wealth… But you've already made arrangements for our next target of choice, I presume?"

"I've released another card like you instructed me to," the voice replied disenchanted. "It's already become the talk of the city."

"Wonderful," Reo approved. A small grin thinned at his lips as he added, "And I guess that's to be expected. After all, you are a very famous celebrity nowadays." He closed his eyes with a satisfied sigh, rocking back and forth on the soles of his feet. "So, do you expect 'her' to come?"

"She'll come," the man replied as he stood idly by in the dark shadows. He snorted while crossing both arms over his chest. "Her obsession with me is so disgusting that I could puke right now from just thinking about it."

"All women are obsessed with you," Reo laughed, shaking his head at the thought. "I just think it's a shame that you feel otherwise."

"…Enough with the small talk, Reo. What made you want to change your mind?"

A gusting wind blew by as the young red-headed man inhaled the fresh scent of the salty sea. Reo closed his eyes to welcome the light breeze. He folded both arms casually behind his back and clicked his tongue. "There's been a small change of plans." His eyes slowly opened with a small frown etched upon his face. "I need that woman alive… I've stumbled upon a very… interesting discovery."

There was a slight pause before the monotone voice spoke again. "Enough for you to want her alive?"

Reo snorted a little under his breath. "Sadly, yes," he said, brushing back a few of his bangs. "Anyway, I'll be taking my leave out of the county for a while. I'm taking a ship headed for the western province of China in about thirty minutes."

"Do you think the cops will follow you?"

"They might," Reo said, shrugging his shoulders with indifference. "But it's not like they'll find me. Besides…" he smirked to himself, "their already so infatuated with the idea of tracking down the most notorious assassin in Japan. I doubt that they'll have their sights on me right now."

"That sounds just like you, Reo. You're planning on leaving while I get all of the attention."

"That's the plan," Reo chuckled lightly. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and shrugged. "I'll be sure to keep in touch. Of course, this means that you'll be taking over as the head of the Mouri family while I'm away."

The chirping calls coming from the many seagulls soaring above the sea echoed aloud. Another gusting wind blew ever so softly, carrying the sea salt smell of sand along with it.

Reo inhaled another breath of fresh air and sighed in content. "Mornings like this… really are beautiful. It fits so well with our characters, don't you think?" He admired the coated sky of mystical grey and lavender with a crooked grin. "A dark shadow infused with a sense of mystery. Lethal, vast, and wondrous in so many ways…"

Still lingering in the shadows, the figure remained silent as he pocketed both hands and leaned back against the brick wall. "A dark shadow, huh…" his voice trailed off.

Reo nodded, and then snapped his fingers as if recalling a sudden memory. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you." He turned around fully to get a good look at his partner and said, "I'll be running into '_her'_ while I'm away. If you'd like, I'll send you some pictures on how she's doing." His brows rose in amusement as he noticed the rigid stance of his accomplice and he couldn't help but smirk. "You miss her, don't you?"

"She's… in the past."

Reo shook his head and laughed. "You're so cold," he snorted. A wicked smile curved at the corner of his lips and his teal-green eyes flickered with a sinister glow. "But that's what makes you so useful…"

* * *

Located in the hidden outskirts of Tokyo during the time of 12:09pm…

* * *

**Dead Red Casino**

**All Assassins Welcome!**

Two young men stood in an awkward silence as they stared back at the tall, metallic-red door before them.

One of them seemed a bit uneasy as he continued running a hand through his coal-black hair while muttering small curses to himself. He fiddled restlessly with his shotgun which was strapped around his chest.

His partner on the other hand, appeared to be quite lax, sighing every now and then as he contemplated on whether stepping through the door was such a good idea. His teal-grey eyes flickered over to his companion. "Tsubasa," his monotone voice spoke expectantly, "you go first."

Tsubasa's dark blue eyes widened like saucers as he stared back at his partner like he was a mad man. "The hell do you mean by that, Youichi?" He gestured his head towards the door, "I'm not going first. You go first."

"You're the oldest," Youichi countered simply. "It's only natural that you lose your life first."

Tsubasa scrunched his nose, narrowed his eyes, clicked his tongue and said, "You never acknowledged me as the oldest before. And besides, that's got nothing to do with this situation."

Youichi exasperated a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his silver hair. "Look, you're the one who couldn't kill the damn woman," he drawled, turning to look at his idiot partner. He held up his right arm which was covered in bandages. "Of all the people that I had to be partnered with, it had to be you. And it's your fault that she escaped. You should be the one to go in first."

Such simplistic and stupid reasoning only seemed to upset Tsubasa. Just what made the little twerp think that he had the right to tell others what to do, anyway?

"Don't go blaming me for what happened. Because you couldn't kill her, Natsume's gonna kill us instead!"

Youichi groaned, rolling his eyes. "Why in the_ hell_ are you being so difficult? Having a broken arm is already enough for me, but now I have to put up with your stupid whining…"

"Why in the _hell_ do you want me to go in first?" Tsubasa challenged, folding both arms over his chest in defiance. "Look, I'm not fixing to step in through that door and have Natsume slice off my head before I even step inside. No way, man! There's absolutely no way I'm gonna−"

_**Bang!**_

Interrupting Tsubasa from finishing his sentence, the door to the casino suddenly slammed open, revealing a woman with carmine pink hair as she leaned against the side of the doorframe.

She had on a long yellow shirt with pink shorts, and her face was covered in green with her hair pinned up in a high ponytail. Her dark pink eyes flamed like fire as she fumed, "What the hell is wrong with you, Tsubasa!"

Surprised, Tsubasa squeaked out a high pitched scream and staggered backwards. "M-Misaki!" he exclaimed, taken aback by the woman's sudden appearance.

Misaki situated both hands on either side of her hips and flared her nostrils. "Tsubasa, how many times do I have to remind you that this is our _secret _base? Your voice was so loud that I could've shot you with my eyes closed. Seriously, I was just getting ready to finish off my facial." She took notice of the handsome young man with silver hair standing beside Tsubasa as her scowl diminished into a welcoming smile. "Oh, hey there, Youichi. How's it going?"

Youichi nodded simply. "Hey, Misaki-nee."

"Hey!" Tsubasa gaped back at the pink haired woman and pointed ever so rudely in Youichi's direction. "You're just gonna treat him with respect but yell at me? Where do you get off?"

Misaki's sweet smile disappeared instantly. "Don't you start with me, Tsubasa Andou," she scolded him. "I get enough of just having to babysit you each time that you come back home. By the way," she whipped out her pink cell from the pocket of her shorts and held it up, "tell all those stupid girlfriends of yours to stop calling my phone. They keep thinking that you're my boyfriend, and I'd appreciate it if I didn't get harassing texts all the time."

Tsubasa snorted under his breath. "Yeah, like I'd ever want to be with an ugly witch like─"

Before he could even finish his on the side comment, Misaki gave a hard whack up the side of his head, sending him falling to the ground. She sighed exhaustedly and flashed a warm smile in Youichi's direction. "Come on in Youichi," she said, ushering him inside of the casino. "Are you thirsty? The bar doesn't open up until six, but I'd be more than happy to get you a drink if you want."

Brushing off the bit of dirt from his pants, Tsubasa grunted as he stood up from off the ground. He sneered, tussling at his black bangs with a small pout. "Why do we have a stupid casino for a stupid secret base anyway…" he muttered begrudgingly.

He and Youichi slowly made their way through the front door, stopping short as they took the time to look about their surroundings. Their eyes scanned over the area, making sure that it was safe to walk in.

"You guys can relax," Misaki called aloud, waving the two young men to come inside. She made her way over to the sink of the bar and wetted a damp towel before wiping the bit of green facial away from her face. "Natsume isn't here. There's no need to be so nervous."

Tsubasa snorted, tugging a little at the collar to his shirt. "W-who said I was n-nervous?" he said, casually making his way in as he situated himself down on a stool. He sat back on his seat, sighing in content as he situated a leg over his thigh while folding both hands behind his head. "Anyway, could you do me a favor and whip me up a good margarita from the bar, Misaki? I'm thirsty."

"Make one yourself," Misaki deadpanned. She finished washing her face and sighed in satisfaction before pulling out a glass from up under one of the bar cupboards. "What about you, Youichi? I'm sure that you're pretty thirsty after walking so far."

Youichi found a seat at the bar and shrugged his shoulders. "I just want a root beer," he ordered simply.

"Coming right up!"

Appearing to be bothered by the bit of favoritism, Tsubasa wrinkled his nose, narrowing his eyes at his silver-haired partner. "Little brat…"

"So, I hear that your mission didn't go so well, guys," Misaki said, adding the bit of touch of whip cream to Youichi's glass of root beer. She slid it over with a small wink and said, "You two have been away from the base for quite a while. What took you so long?"

Youichi sighed, taking a small sip of his drink through a straw. "It was a disaster. After this idiot," he sent a narrowed glare in Tsubasa's direction, "lost track of our target, we've been trying to make up for lost time by finding out her whereabouts. But we haven't had any luck in tracking her down, so we decided to come back home."

"How many times are you going to blame this on me?" Tsubasa defended. He gave a good spin to his rolling stool and shifted upright as he pointed to Youichi accusingly. "The woman was right there in the palm of your hand and all you had to do was kill her. But, no!" He waved his arms dramatically, "You just had to go and get yourself hurt with a broken arm."

Misaki gasped, taking notice of Youichi's broken right arm. "Oh, poor Youichi," she said, giving him a comforting pat on the head and a small bear hug. "It must have been terrible for you. Are you alright?"

Feeling the heat creeping up to his neck, Tsubasa growled and pouted in petulance. "Why do you keep babying that little brat?"

"I knew I smelled the stench of losers in here…"

Appearing from the back of the bar door, a strawberry-blonde wearing nothing but a strapless red top and a pair of skinny black jeans came to join the conversation. She stood like a model, pushing out one of her hips with one hand situated on the other as she flipped her blonde bangs away from her face.

She took one glance at Youichi and Tsubasa before sneering out, "I'm surprised that you two_ failures _decided to even show your faces. Natsume's sure to have a fit once he gets back to find you two here at the base."

She flaunted a taunting smile in Tsubasa's direction while giving a good sashay to her swaying hips as she came to sit on top of the bar counter. Misaki rolled her eyes, muttering something like "Prissy show-off," under her breath.

The blonde bombshell hummed a small tune while whipping out a pink nail-filer from her pocket. She clicked her tongue and said, "It reeks of mediocrity around here. I don't think Natsume will appreciate trash hanging about the place."

"Lay off, Luna," Tsubasa grunted out. He snickered at the blonde beauty, feeling sickened just by looking at her. "Don't you have something better to do? Like rearranging that plastic face of yours?" He grinned, folding both hands behind his head and winked. "That is your hobby, isn't it?"

Misaki stifled back a laugh and Youichi snickered as he sipped from his drink. Unable to hold back a laugh himself, Tsubasa hung back his head and cackled out in humor at his funny joke.

Luna immediately ceased from filing her nails. Slowly, she lifted herself from up off of the counter and strode her way like a model on a runway towards Tsubasa with her bangs covering over her face. She smiled sweetly before her lips curved downward into a devilish scowl.

Putting one arm around Tsubasa's shoulder, she used a hand to hold his chin firmly in place. Her other free hand held onto her nail-filer as she popped off the top, releasing a thin needle with purple liquid oozing out from its tip.

She pressed the needle to Tsubasa's cheek, testing the delicacy of his skin as she licked her lips. "I don't want to hear any talk coming from a loser who couldn't even get his job done," her voice cooed out in a snake-like manner. She smiled teasingly. "I heard that you failed in killing your target. Natsume wasn't too pleased with hearing about that."

Tsubasa remained silently stiff and gulped. His brows furrowed as he glared up at the beautiful woman who was smirking down at him.

Misaki clapped her hands as if to break up the fight and made her way over to the bickering pair. "That's none of your business, Luna," she said, coming to Tsubasa's aid as she pulled the blonde away by the arm. "Now, get off of him. The only one allowed to bully this idiot here is me."

After having his neck finally free, Tsubasa put a hand to his neck as if desperately gasping for air. He pointed to Luna accusingly, "Y-you just tried to poison me!"

Luna snorted, shrugging her shoulders while popping her nail-filer back into place. "What made these two want to show up here with their tails between their legs, anyway?" She sighed, giving a flip to her strawberry bangs. "A _real _assassin wouldn't show up empty handed."

"It's not like we had a choice," Youichi drawled, finishing off his last bit of root beer. "We had some interference come out of nowhere and after that, it was hard trying to track her down."

Misaki nodded in agreement. "Well, she is the same girl that Reo's been tracking down for ten years." She shrugged, shaking her head. "If he can't even catch her, I guess it's no surprise if you can't either, Youichi. You tried your hardest."

"Hey, I tried my hardest too," Tsubasa added, expecting his part of the credit. "What about me?"

Misaki responded with a flick to his forehead. "Just shut up."

_**Ccrreak!**_

A sudden hush fell over the room as all heads slowly turned to find the front door to the casino gradually creaking open.

All voices ceased as everyone took notice of the new guest making his way inside.

Five fingers slowly curled their way around the edge of the door, and a silent wind from outside brought forth an eerie feeling. A head of black hair appeared from behind the door. Tensing at the sudden presence, everyone could feel their throats go dry with their lips slightly parted.

Tsubasa gulped, feeling the sweat trickling down all the way to his neck. "N-Natsume…? H-he's not supposed to be here, right…?"

Walking in with the gushing wind, the dark figure took five small steps at a time as he made his way inside. The door slammed shut with the illuminating lights finally revealing the man's face, and then suddenly…

"Did I miss a party or something? Everyone looks riled up."

Brows arched in amusement, a handsome young man folded both arms over his chest with a small grin. His blue eyes scanned about the room, taking in the surprised expression on everyone's faces.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite blonde," Misaki chuckled, shaking her head to herself. She waved excitedly, "What's up, Ruka?"

"Ruka?" Luna gasped, arching a skeptic brow. Her eyes widened then settled after scrutinizing the young man. "What the hell are you doing wearing that wig?"

Laughing a little to himself, Ruka took off his black wig of hair and allowed his blonde bangs to fall at his face. He smiled and shrugged. "Sorry about that, Luna. I kind of forgot that I was wearing this disguise when I went out on my mission, today."

"Oh, hey what's up, Ruka," Tsubasa greeted, coming to give his blonde-haired buddy a good pat on the back. "You're back from your mission in France, already?"

Ruka nodded, sighing a little to himself. "I finished up a little earlier than expected." He gave a good beat to his shoulders and made his way over to a small table as he sat down. "Apparently providing a toxic acid for a CEO's drink goes by a lot smoother than I thought. Oh, Misaki, could you get me a cup of cola from the bar? Lots of ice, please."

Tsubasa followed Ruka and found a seat next to him as he nodded musingly. "Well, that's cool. Oh, by the way, Ruka…" He cleared his throat before speaking and nudged Ruka in the arm. "You didn't… happen to run into Natsume on your way back by any chance, did ya? I-I mean it's not like I'm worried or nothing, but… you know."

"Here you go, hot stuff," Misaki said, placing a cup of cola on the table in front of the handsome blonde. "Enjoy!"

Ruka smiled gratefully and took a small sip of his drink before turning to Tsubasa. His blue pupils flickered with amusement as he stared at his friend. "You don't have to worry about your life, Tsubasa," he chuckled. "Natsume isn't as cold as you make him out to be. He has no intentions of skinning you alive."

"Whew!" Tsubasa exasperated a small sigh, wiping his forehead after hearing those words. He cleared his throat again, shrugging his shoulders while rubbing his nose. "W-well, I mean, it wasn't like I was scared of him or anything like that…"

"Where is Natsume-nii, Ruka?" Youichi asked suddenly. "It's been awhile since I've seen him."

Ruka nodded after taking finishing off his last swig of cola. "I just spoke with him on the phone not too long ago," he answered. "Supposedly he met up with Reo, and he's been left in charge as the head of the Mouri family until further notice." He sighed. "I'm sure this means that we'll be having one of the higher ups come check us out to see how we're doing in the near future…"

"No kidding?" Misaki asked surprised. She gave a light whistle, impressed by the big news. "Natsume was left in charge as the head? Wow, that's top notch."

Luna nodded, folding both arms over her chest. "That's to be expected of my Natsume," she approved. "Cool, conduct, and sexy all in one. Just like a man."

Youichi gave an agreeable nod of his own. "That's not much of a surprise. Natsume-nii is our leader after all. It was bound to happen sometime."

Tsubasa snorted with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah, I just wonder if being in charge of the Mouri family will go to his head." He shrugged his shoulders at Luna's narrowed glare and added, "He's already cocky as it is."

"By the way, Ruka," Misaki started, pulling up a seat at the table next to him, "did you hear about the card Natsume sent out?"

"Oh, yeah!" Tsubasa snapped his fingers at the sudden topic. He clicked his tongue while saying, "Isn't he supposed to be making his next kill at that famous restaurant? What was it again… B.F. Changs, right?"

Luna sat on top of the counter and started up her usual routine for filing her nails. "I heard about that too," she chimed in.

Ruka shrugged. "Well, no one ever knows about Natsume's motives or what his plans are for that matter…" He played with his empty glass cup in his hands, pondering on the words to come. "But… he plans on catching that certain 'woman' and bringing her back alive."

"What!" Tsubasa exclaimed in surprise. His brows rose as he asked, "He's bringing her back alive? Wha…? After all that hard work for me and Youichi tracking her down, too?"

"Yeah, what's the meaning of this, Ruka?" Misaki questioned. "I thought that Reo wanted her dead."

"I know I want her dead," Youichi muttered sourly, holding up his arm. "It's her fault that my damn arm is broken…"

Ruka shrugged with a sigh. "Yes, well… I'm assuming that there's been a change of plans. According to Natsume, he doesn't even know why Reo wants her alive. And since Reo's planning on leaving the country for a while, it proves to be an even bigger mystery for us all…"

Misaki's brows furrowed together. "That's strange…"

Luna pouted, crossing one of her slender legs over the other. "Well, I for one want to know of this beautiful _woman _who's supposed to be showing up with _my _Natsume." She tucked a few of her bangs behind her ear and said, "According to the card he sent out, Natsume will show up at B.F. Changs _"accompanied by a beautiful woman."_ Ch! Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, duh, Luna," Tsubasa said like the answer was obvious. "It means that you're not the beautiful woman that Natsume's taking. What else?"

That was it.

Ready to silence the impudent fool once and for all, Luna whipped off the top of her nail-filer, ready to pin the needle at her target. Tsubasa only smirked, readying his shotgun as he released it from the straps of his chest and steadied himself for a good aim.

Ruka sighed, rising from up out of his seat and held up both hands to refrain the two idiots from doing anything stupid. "Alright, alright, calm down you two," he ordered, trying to maintain the peace. He sighed again, "Anyway, there's nothing we can do about it. On top of all this, we shouldn't be expecting Natsume to come back until Friday night… probably."

Youichi frowned to himself in thought. "Natsume-nii is planning something, isn't he, Ruka?"

Ruka laughed, grinning at the young man's sharp intellect. "You know him well, don't you, Youichi?"

"Oh, that's just like my beloved Natsume," Luna squealed, crossing her hands over her heart with an admirable sigh. "He's always so brave and trustworthy. His stealth and swift expertise with a sword is so ultimately jarring that only adds onto his charm." She shuddered in delight while adding, "Not to mention his cold attitude that just makes him so sexy. Ah! And his chest─"

"Geez," Tsubasa groaned, rolling his eyes. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"

Snapping her fingers after recalling a sudden memory, Misaki gasped and said, "Hey, Ruka, I almost forgot to tell you." She pulled out her phone from her pocket and started scrolling through the screen for a certain message. "I got word from Hotaru not too long ago. She was able to give me the skinny on some good news."

Ruka probed her to continue with an arched brow. "Which is?"

"Apparently the cops aren't the only ones who are planning to take out Natsume," Misaki answered as her eyes scanned over the message from her phone. "Hotaru informed me that some other highly skilled assassins are planning to ambush him at the appointed restaurant on Friday night."

"Who are they?"

Misaki looked back to Ruka in worry and shook her head. "I don't know," she said, biting her lip. "But supposedly, they belong to a group of another family of assassins who holds a grudge against the Mouri family. And… if one of them happens to run into Natsume at the restaurant… then that would mean…"

Tsubasa's brows creased together as he finished with, "Total annihilation…"

Luna gasped and stood up on top of the counter. "I dare them to try anything on my precious Natsume," she said boldly as if declaring war. "Just let them mark one wound on his beautiful body, and I'll make them suffer! My poison will let them die a slow and painful death."

Ruka smiled weakly. "That's… very ambitious of you, Luna," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "But I don't think that you will need to go that far."

"Then let one of us go with him on Friday night," Youichi suggested, rising abruptly from out of his seat. "Just one of us being around to protect Natsume-nii should be enough, right? Besides, the place is probably going to already be crawling with undercover cops. Natsume-nii will be facing two enemies at once."

"Now, you're talking, Youichi!" Tsubasa chimed in. He cocked back the trigger of his shotgun. "Heh, my gun is just itching for blood. I'm the best sniper in the family."

Misaki gave a light pop to the back of his head. "Second to me, you are," she said with a wink. She turned to Ruka with determined eyes. "I haven't seen any action in weeks! Come on, Ruka, let one of us go with Natsume on Friday night."

Ruka's eyes rolled as he put a hand to his head and sighed. "You guys are really getting excited about this…"

"Well of course!" Luna made her voice apparently upset while placing both hands on her hips. "After all, if these are guys that have had it out against the Mouri family, I'm sure they won't hesitate to take out the family's strongest and most lethal assassin. Natsume needs us!"

"You're all blowing this way out of proportion," the handsome blonde said, trying not to make the conversation more than what it was. He shook his head. "I'm glad that you guys all feel pumped up to help out Natsume, but… You know it's not in his nature to endanger any one of you." He shrugged and added, "Besides, he has far too much fun doing things on his own. You all know this."

Misaki stomped her foot in refusal. "Well, what the hell are we supposed to do, Ruka? Let him die without him knowing what's happening?"

Ruka rubbed his temples. "Natsume will be just fine. I'm his best friend after all. I know him better than anyone."

After breathing out a small sigh, Misaki nodded in agreement. She shrugged, giving up while muttering, "Yeah… you're right."

Taking in the tense atmosphere around him, Ruka grinned at everyone's determined expressions. It was really something, seeing all of his friends getting pumped up to defend one of their own. He couldn't help but feel admiration and pride for being a part of such an overconfident group.

"Guys, I'm sure Natsume won't be in any trouble on Friday night. And if something does happen…" Ruka closed his eyes, chuckling lightly to himself. "Well… I'm sure that we all know how scary Natsume can be when angered, right?"

Misaki nodded, musing over that fact. "Yeah, that's true…"

"I don't wanna be the one to make him mad," Tsubasa muttered, scratching at his head with a weak smile.

Youichi snorted, crossing both arms over his chest. "…Fine."

"Good," came Ruka's sigh of satisfactory as he patted Tsubasa's shoulder while sending a half smile to Misaki. "Now that we have that small little conversation out of the way, let's go ahead and start making preparations for the casino. I hear that we've got a lot of customers coming in later on, tonight."

Everyone groaned aloud, not really wanting to comply with the given order. Misaki gave a good stretch to her arms and yawned. "Well, I think that Sumire and Koko should be coming back from their missions, soon. I'll go ahead and call one of them to see what time they'll be back."

"They had a mission in Italy, right?" Luna asked excitedly. "Can you call and ask Sumire if she can bring back some good spaghetti, Misaki?" The two women made their way towards another part of the casino as they continued on with their conversation.

Hoping to get a good drink before leaving, Tsubasa zoomed his way behind the bar to whip up a quick alcoholic beverage. Youichi rolled his eyes, giving a smart aleck remark to his friend who was having way too much fun in decorating his margarita with black cherries.

Ruka smiled a little to himself, shaking his head. He folded both arms over his chest and sighed. "I wonder what Natsume plans to do Friday night…"

**-(Preview)-**

"**This is pure…torture."**

Tonight, Natsume Hyuuga, the most notorious assassin alive, was going to make his appearance for the first time in front of the public eye.

"**This is a word of warning: Remember, keep your eyes open at all times and stay alert…"**

**.**

This story definitely contains mystery, but there's one question that keeps popping up:

**Is Mikan an assassin in this story?:** In the story thus far, Mikan is the only non-assassin. After her parents were slain, she was taken hostage by a family of assassins (The Mouri family), as a child, and escaped at the age of eleven, which is around the same time that Kazumi took her in. As of now, she works for the Alice Police Dept. of Justice Defense. Her primary goal is to track down every living assassin, her main target being the infamous, Natsume Hyuuga. :)

Here you go! A new updated chapter especially presented with the GA gang. Awesome~

And for those who are waiting for the big moment where Natsume and Mikan finally meet face to face: Don't worry, it's coming up!^^

Thanks so much for reading, guys! Please don't forget to leave a review. :)


	5. A Word of Warning

**Disclaimer: **Nope.

**.**

"You can check in, but you can't check out!"

-**Freddy Krueger. (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, 1988)**

**Chapter 4: A Word of Warning**

**.**

_She ran through the dark alleys of the streets as the cold rain continued to pelt down._

_Once she felt the energy fading from her legs, she crashed forward into a puddle of water. Her breaths came out in heavy, ragged pants. _

_She cradled her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly as she whimpered muffled cries. Rocking back and forth on the heels of her feet, she thought back to the traumatic scene where she had witnessed the blood of her parents being shed right before her very eyes._

_One good look at the murderer was enough to make her scream and run for dear life. She fled the scene as fear had overtaken her, and she had suddenly found herself being pursued by the unknown killer. _

_Now… isolated and all alone, she was sitting secluded in a dark corner of an alley with only the cold rain to keep her company. She cried softly, hugging herself in comfort; the pain was too much to bear._

_Her parents were dead… She was alone… There was no one to help her. There was no one to cradle her, and assure her that everything would be alright._

_She was alone._

_Suddenly, a cold hand gripped her arm. Frozen in fear, she barely mustered the strength to stare into the eyes of a young boy._

_She gasped, surprised by the stunning color of his eyes. They were a beautiful shade of red, magnetic and alluringly bold. The boy smiled down at her, his features soft and warm. _

_His lips slowly mouthed the words, "Trust me."_

_For some reason, a warm wave of tranquility spread over her at those words. It was like she could take in his trust without the conveying of words. She somehow felt… safe, protected while under his gaze._

_She was about to ask his name, but froze at the sight of another presence. A tall dark figure stood over the boy, his appearance obscure due to the pelting rain. It was as if the boy was slowly descending into the background as the dark figure immersed, taking its place. _

_The only thing that lingered was the familiar, piercing crimson eyes of the young boy. The only difference was when she looked into these enchanting orbs; the wave of tranquility disappeared, being replaced by a cold, bone-chilling fear. The red eyes which once held so much softness were now jaded, and dark. _

_Then suddenly, the figure slowly stirred as a pair of crimson eyes flickered through the dark of the showering rain. Mikan wondered if her eyes were deceiving her, and her lips trembled in fear at her uncertainty. She couldn't even trust her own vision. _

_What had happened to the little boy?_

_Red eyes penetrated through her soul as she stared back up at the terrifying figure. It was like staring back at the eyes of a monster…_

_**Beep! Beep! Beep!**_

Mikan stirred in her sleep as she awoke to find her alarm sounding off.

Groaning aloud, she flipped her pillow off of her head and reached out to turn off her alarm clock. She yawned, giving a good stretch of her arms while running a hand through her unkempt auburn strands.

Her legs came off to hang just at the side of her bed, and she sat upright with her brown eyes staring off in a daze at the carpet floor. Smacking her lips together to get the grimy, instilled taste out of her mouth, she sighed and pulled out a photo of red eyes from up under her pillow.

Brushing a finger over the obscure photo of Natsume Hyuuga, she tensed slightly, recalling the nostalgic memory of crimson eyes from her dream.

She had been having the same nightmare ever since she could remember. It was the same dream each time…

Every time she dreamt of running away from the killer that had murdered her parents while crying alone in a dark alley. Then next, she would see the same boy with crimson red eyes. He would extend a hand out to her, asking for her trust, but would suddenly fade into the background, becoming replaced by a haunting dark figure that stood behind him.

"Why do I always dream of him?" Mikan asked quietly to herself. "Why are his haunting eyes… why do they always appear in my dreams?"

Nothing ever made sense when it came to her haunting nightmares. The enigmatic feel of mystery was killing her.

Her brows furrowed together as she stared back at the haunting photo. She had been hunting the same man with those cold crimson eyes for so long. Ever since she became a skilled spy working for the Alice Headquarters of Justice Defense, her only goal was to hunt down deadly assassins that threatened the balance of the world.

Then, there was the infamous Natsume Hyuuga. He was the only man that she could not catch. Often times, she would wonder where her insane obsession of catching the untamed 'beast' derived.

What if there was more to her resolve to wanting to find the most dangerous assassin known throughout Japan? Perhaps the fact that he was a cold-hearted killer wasn't her only reason for tracking him down.

Perhaps the reason was that he might possibly have Intel for her; a special clue as to who the boy was that continued to haunt her in her sleep. Maybe that was why she was so obsessed with the thought of capturing Natsume Hyuuga...

Mikan shook her head at the thought and patted her cheeks. "Alright, Sakura, snap out of it. You've got to stay focused for tonight."

That's right, focus was key. She was an honorary member of the Justice Defense; there was no time for reminiscing about things that didn't matter.

Suddenly, two loud beeps erupted aloud from Mikan's phone. Giving a tired sigh, the brunette reached out for her pink blackberry, pressed the answer button, and begrudgingly muttered, "Hello?"

"Good morning, Mikan-chan."

Mikan's hazel eyes widened at the familiar voice. "Nobara!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Hey, what's up?"

A light chuckle came from the other line. "Good morning to you, too, Mikan-chan. I was calling to see if you were ready."

Mikan scrunched her nose at the question. "Eh? Ready for what, did we have plans or something?"

"Um, Mikan-chan… We were supposed to go to the meeting at Alice Headquarters, today?" Mikan hitched a breath of air after hearing the words. "Persona was going to go over the plan of how we're going to capture Natsume Hyuuga. Remember?"

"We… were?" The brunette could feel sweat nearly trickling down the side of her neck.

"Yes, and that's what I was calling to remind you about... We're supposed to be there at ten, Mikan-chan."

"Ten!" Mikan shrieked, abruptly arising from her bed, almost tripping over an empty bowl of last night's pasta. She spared a quick glance at her alarm clock, mortified by the given time. "Persona's gonna freak!"

**.**

"Wait up, Mikan-chan!"

The brunette sighed and turned her head to the gentle voice who called out her name.

Mikan sighed. "Come on, Nobara. Hurry up or we'll be late. The meeting started fifteen minutes ago."

A beautiful young woman with long, wavy lavender-blue tresses ran up to her, putting a hand to her chest. She smiled apologetically as her icy-blue eyes stared up at her friend. "It's just that you walk so fast," Nobara said, breathing out in pants. "I can't keep up with you."

Mikan blinked twice at the fatigued look on the woman's face and smiled. "Aw, I'm sorry, Nobara," she laughed. "It's just that… Well, we were supposed to have already been at the meeting with Shiro and every other member of the Alice Defense, because I know that Persona isn't the type for excuses. And the fact that tonight happens to be my moment to capture Natsume Hyuuga is just driving me insane. I mean, I-I can't even function right now! Do you know how important this is? The most dangerous man alive is going to show his face for the first time in front of the public eye tonight, and−"

"Mikan-chan," Nobara interjected, putting a hand over the talkative brunette's mouth. "Calm down. It's okay. Just… _breathe_."

Mikan followed suit and exhaled deeply. "Ah… That was nice."

Nobara smiled and chuckled, "I know."

After turning a few corners from every building and passing street by street through the incoming traffic, both Nobara and Mikan had finally made it towards their destination. They dashed through the double-glass doors of Alice Headquarters.

They were flying in faster than the speed of light where people had to stop and gawk at the two flustered looking women. Papers flew everywhere as a brunette zoomed in between the many office workers carrying reports.

Doing her best to beat time, Mikan pushed through the many crowds of people blockading her path. "Excuse me, coming through. Move! Oh, I'm sorry about that, sir!"

Nobara was trailing just a few feet behind her and had to jump over the few giant boxes that were in the way. "I'm s-sorry, please excuse us. Pardon me, please."

Finally, after having using up their energy by taking the stairs, both of them were able to come to a good pace as they strode their way thoroughly down the corridors of Hall-B. They were just a few steps away from their destination. A tall door stood before them as they neared desired point.

Feeling the rushing adrenaline pumping like crazy, Mikan made one leap for the door, twisted the knob, and busted open with a victorious, "Made it!"

Rather than being showered with a warm welcome, the only greeting that she received was a hushed room instilled with silence.

All heads turned to stare at the odd brunette whose eyes were lit up with a goofy grin plastered on her face. It was almost like hearing the sound of crickets chirping in the background as they stared back with blank stares.

Nobara silently tip-toed her way beside Mikan, blushing in embarrassment from all of the unwanted attention. "I-I think we're late, Mikan-chan," she murmured meekly.

Stepping out from the enlarged circle of people crowding around a large desk, a man dressed in all black made his presence known with a clear of his throat.

His dark eyes were all but warm as he clicked his tongue at the two young women, and firmly stated, "You're late."

Witnessing the stern, unhappy expression of their head chief, both Mikan and Nobara looked at each other, tensed at the shoulders, and bowed respectfully. "We're very sorry, s-sir!" they answered in unison.

Persona folded both hands behind his back and sighed. "Yes well," he said, gesturing the two young women to join the rest of the group, "The two of you should hurry up and come over here."

Mikan and Nobara staggered their way through the group as they hesitantly came to join their other fellow members.

Grinning at the brunette's flushed cheeks, Shiro gave a nudge to her shoulder as she came to stand beside him. "Nice entrance, Sakura. The fact that you're the Head President's niece is_ veeerry_ reassuring."

Mikan ignored the sardonic dry tone, giving a stick of her tongue to the white-haired young man before whipping her nose in the air. Persona cleared his throat again before resuming his position in the middle of the group.

"Alright, it looks like everyone is finally here." He paced a little back and forth with both hands behind his back as he said, "You've all been gathered together for a special meeting. I'm sure that everyone has heard the stirring news about the legendary assassin, Natsume Hyuuga, making his appearance tonight before the public eye?"

Excited voices erupted simultaneously around the room in murmurs at the topic.

Persona presented a loud chest cough to tone down the talkative crowd. "It has become quite the uproar in Japan thus far. And for the lot of you who wants to get a share of excitement, what I'm about to say next might sound fun to you. Our sectored group has been granted special permission from the President of Alice Headquarters to scout out the notorious assassin." Whooping whistles came about, and Persona snapped his fingers for everyone's attention. "Listen up! Don't let the excitement go to your heads. This is important."

One of the members grinned smugly while raising his hand. "Say, chief. Where exactly will the infamous Natsume Hyuuga be making his appearance to the world?"

"According the inscribed card that he left behind, he'll be showing up at B.F. Changs," Persona answered casually.

"Oh! Isn't that a famous restaurant known for its Chinese cuisine?" another member asked excitedly. "I'm so in for tonight! Woo, I'm starting to like Natsume Hyuuga, already."

Hearing the childish comment, Shiro closed his eyes with a small snort. "Children, listen to your mother. We're supposed to be on our best behavior while we're out scouting for a dangerous assassin." He earned a side scowl and a few murmured curses from the small group around him. "If you amateurs haven't noticed, already, we'll be doing more _searching_ versus eating. As members of the Justice Defense, we're expected to be on guard at all times. Man, you guys are slow…"

Persona arched a brow. "Thank you for that sarcastic remark, lieutenant." He nodded approvingly. "And you're exactly right, Shiro. We won't be attending the restaurant to fool around. Our group is well known for being the best spy sector and defense team out of any other group at Alice HQ. I expect a lot from each and every one of you."

Shiro shrugged. "It's nothing new for me. Mikan and I have been on countless missions like this all the time, right Mikan?" He nudged the brunette in the arm and grinned.

Mikan nudged him back with more force, mouthing out, "Stop playing around," through gritted teeth.

Small snorts and whistles came from behind the pair. "I wouldn't be surprised if you two started dating, Sakura," a fellow member whispered teasingly in Mikan's ear, earning a blush in return.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Persona announced with a clap of his hands. "I'm expecting everyone to be on guard tonight. Shiro," he called for his lieutenant, "come out and announce the plan. Make it crisp and clear."

Tussling at his white head of hair, Shiro sighed and took a step forward as he came to stand in front of the crowd. He pocketed both hands into his jeans, giving a click of his tongue as he spoke, "Alright, so here's the lowdown. Persona and I have decided that we'll divide different teams to guard both the inside and the outside of the restaurant. According to his past murders, Natsume Hyuuga is well-known for slipping past the human eye faster than the speed of light. So, we'll have those that are really good at being on the defense guarding from the outside of the building."

Mikan snorted under her breath. "Look at him trying to act so cool," she whispered to Nobara.

"Hey, I heard that, Sakura," Shiro snapped his fingers at the brunette. "Pay attention when the lieutenant is talking, understand?"

Mikan only smiled and saluted him like a soldier, "Yes sir!"

Shiro grinned. The cute little brat… "Okay," he continued, rubbing his palms together, "so, like I said, those who are better at being on the defense will be guarding from the outside. Those who are a lot more skilled at acting and moving accordingly will be situated inside along with me and a few others."

"Go ahead and announce your choice of partner," Persona ordered him.

Shiro scratched at his head and sighed, "Alright. Now, some of us who are a lot more skilled at just about… well, pretty much everything, will be inside of the restaurant as well. I'll choose a partner to go with me, seeing as how I'm obviously going to be a part of this group. And the partner that I choose is," he turned his head towards a certain brunette and announced, "Mikan Sakura."

Mikan tensed, standing stiff at the call of her name. She blinked back and pointed to herself, "Me?"

The handsome young man grinned mischievously. Shiro beckoned to the brunette with a finger. "That's right. You're with me, little lady."

Some murmurs came from the background along with small sneers. "That's nothing new," one of the members said sourly. "Shiro and Mikan are always the ones getting the fun since they're the best spies."

Blushing a little at the few side comments, Mikan hesitantly stepped out from the group.

At first she was a little embarrassed and insecure by the talk of scorn, but felt those who were big talkers were just jealous of her talent. She decided to hold her head up high as she came to stand beside Shiro, and sent a small narrowed glare in his direction.

He only snorted, pulling her small body next to his hard one while grinning down at her sour frown. "We do make the best partners, Mikan," he teased, adding a small wink. "There's nobody out there that can compare. We're the real deal, Bonnie and Clyde, right, sweetheart?"

Mikan almost wanted to laugh as she fought back a smile. "Stop trying to show off," was her only rebuttal while socking a playful punch to his arm. "Get on with your speech."

Shiro clicked his tongue and scoured through the other remaining members. "Hm, let's see… I'll choose one more to accompany my small group, so… Nobara Ibaragi." He signaled for the woman with blue hair to step out. "You're pretty good, too. You'll be paired up with Persona."

Nobara tensed as all the jealous glares were being sent her way. "O-okay…"

Her eyes stared down at the floor as she tiptoed her way over to the head chief. Persona sighed, fighting back a small smile at the timid woman.

He tipped her chin upwards with his finger. "Nobara," he demanded, "you're one of the top members of our group as well. I don't want a shy little girl accompanying me while we're at the restaurant, tonight. I want the woman that I know I can count on. Do you understand?"

Nobara blushed, nodding her head. "Y-yes, chief, I'll do my best, tonight."

Persona smiled and looked back at the group before him. "Tonight, we will strive to make history in becoming the first ones to ever capture the legendary, Natsume Hyuuga. I want everyone to go home, get some rest, eat a good meal, and mentally prepare yourselves for what's to come. I'm sure that we're in for one hell of a night."

"Yes, sir!" everyone answered together.

Grinning smugly to himself, Shiro looked down at the brunette whose face was highlighted with obvious excitement. He nudged her in the arm. "Anxious, aren't we?"

Mikan smiled up at him. "You know it."

"Oh, that reminds me," Shiro said, putting a finger to his chin as if pretending to muse in thought. "Speaking of being anxious, Sakura… I'm pretty anxious in seeing you play your special 'part' in tonight's scout."

Mikan's brows rose then settled in skepticism at those last words. Oh, no… That didn't sound good.

She gulped, somewhat nervous. "W-what special part would that be, exactly?"

* * *

**B.F. Changs, 10:10pm…**

* * *

"This is pure…torture."

Standing in the middle of the dining hall of the restaurant, a brunette was bristling in resent with both arms defiantly crossed over her chest.

She wore a glistening cocktail dress in the color of bubble-gum pink and a pair of heels to match. Her chestnut hair was tied up into a tight bun, with a few of her strands hanging at the side of her face.

Mikan muttered a curse of breath. Hell tonight was important.

Tonight, Natsume Hyuuga, the most notorious assassin alive, was going to make his appearance for the first time in front of the public eye.

Tonight her goal was to catch him. Tonight she'd finally be able to win. And yet here she was, being forced into the idea of wearing something that went against her tomboy personality completely.

Laughing at his friend's flustered look of distaste, Shiro came to give a good pat on the brunette's shoulder. "Hey, lighten up. I think you look great." He turned his head to another companion. "Right, Nobara?"

Fiddling with her lavender tresses, Nobara smiled as her eyes glistened admirably. "It looks good on you, Mikan-chan. You look like a fairy," she muttered meekly.

"A fairy?" Mikan repeated, wrinkling her nose. She snorted and started clacking her heels towards the opposite direction for the bathroom. "Okay, that's it. This dress is coming off."

"Chill out, Sakura," Shiro laughed, reaching out to stop her. "Stop being such a drama queen and just go with it. We need you to do your part in this mission, too."

"I agreed to play my part, but this─" Mikan pointed to herself as given evidence, "is going overboard. You can almost see past my thighs in this thing! When you said that Persona had a special part for me to play, I didn't think it involved dressing me up like some… freakish Barbie doll!"

Shiro snorted. "Don't get so full of yourself. Barbie looks a lot hotter than you do."

One of Mikan's brows twitched at the blatant comment as she gritted out, "Shiro…"

"I kid, I kid," he joked, waving his hand with a nervous laugh. He grinned, rubbing his nose. "I'm really serious though, Mikan. You look beautiful." His emerald eyes were soft and warm as they studied the beautiful woman from head to toe. "If we were a couple, I'd… probably kiss you."

Not expecting the sudden compliment, Mikan blushed and looked away. "Stop joking─"

Cutting the brunette off from her own sentence, Shiro silenced her with a chaste peck to her cheek. He grinned, satisfied by the look of embarrassment on her face. "You look beautiful, Mikan."

"Are we all set?"

The sudden voice caused everyone to turn around. Making his appearance, a tall man dressed in an all-black tuxedo came to join the group.

"Persona!" Mikan exclaimed, surprised to find her boss standing behind her. She cleared her throat, repositioning her posture before giving a respectful bow. "Ah, I-I mean, chief. Yes sir, we're all set and ready to go."

"Good," Persona nodded. His dark eyes shifted over to the young woman with blue hair as he directed, "Alright, Nobara, as planned, you'll be accompanying me on the northern parts of the restaurant."

Nobara fixed her timid stance as she straightened herself up. "Y-yes sir," she agreed.

Persona looked over to his lieutenant. "Shiro," he called expectantly, "you'll be planted with a small group on the western side of the restaurant. I want you to monitor every suspect that you deem suspicious. Understand?"

Shiro grinned smugly, folding both hands behind his head. "Roger that, boss!"

"As for you, Mikan," Persona started, taking in the full appearance of the little brunette. He arched a brow. "Well… don't you look cute?"

"Very funny," she growled, placing both hands on her hips. "How come I'm the only one who has to dress up like this? I don't even get to carry a gun (which is really stupid, because I don't see why Shiro gets to carry one), and I hate wearing dresses."

"Yes, well… Look at this as a disciplinary session for your feminine side," Persona said, folding both arms behind his back and sighed in satisfactory. "Besides, you're one of the key players. If Natsume Hyuuga is to show up, it's always smart to put a beautiful woman in the midst of the game."

Mikan arched a brow. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Men go for women who look good," Shiro answered, patting Mikan's brown head of hair. He winked and added, "You're not half bad looking Sakura. Normally we would have put Nobara on the front line for this, but we wanted to have a little fun with you, instead."

Nobara smiled and meekly muttered, "Sorry, Mikan-chan."

Mikan's eyes rolled as she groaned, "Right… And just what makes you think that Natsume Hyuuga is the type to go for something like this, huh? The guy is a notorious _assassin._ He's not that simpleminded you guys."

"The card says that he'll be arriving in style while accompanied by a beautiful woman," Persona retorted blandly while situating the tie to his tux. "That could mean a lot of things in his vocabulary. It could mean that he's bringing a beautiful woman along with him. Or, he might just plan on making acquaintances with a beautiful woman while at the restaurant. Who knows? We might just catch him in his own trap."

Well, that was just a load of farfetched crap. Mikan couldn't believe how her important night was going thus far, and the aching heels from her feet were just pure torture.

She sighed. "This is so…stupid."

Persona cleared his throat, resuming his stern posture. "Nobara and I will be taking our leave now. Mikan, you will be situated on the eastern side of the restaurant. We've already got our other teams located around the restaurant as well." His brows furrowed together as he studied the small group in front of him. "This is a word of warning: Remember, keep your eyes open at all times and stay alert. We are not amateurs. We are _pros_."

"Yes sir!" everyone answered in unison.

Persona gave an approving nod. "Good. Let's begin." He ushered Nobara to his side and took his leave.

Taking in a small breather, Mikan patted her cheeks, pumping herself up for the long night ahead and headed towards her appointed direction.

"Hey, Mikan, hold on a sec," Shiro called, stopping her by the arm. He pulled out a small circular device from his pocket and handed it to Mikan. "Here, take this."

The brunette studied the device with a skeptic brow. "What's this?"

Shiro grinned, holding up a small piece of his own and winked. "This is a special communication device. It's small enough for you to put inside of your ear, and no one can see it."

Impressed, Mikan whistled lightly and attached the small piece to her ear. "Awesome. So, I'll be able to contact you if something comes up?"

"That's right," Shiro nodded, giving his friend another small pat on the head. He grinned in a way that made Mikan's heart skip a beat and flicked her nose. "Well, I'm going on ahead to my post. Will you… be alright by yourself?"

Mikan smiled warmly, loving the sincere of concern within his voice. "Of course," she said reassuringly, placing both hands on her hips. "I can take care of myself. I'm the niece of Kazumi Yukihara after all."

That's right. Right now wasn't the time to start getting cold feet. Natsume Hyuuga would be making his appearance very soon, and she would be waiting to finally catch the notorious killer. She had been longing for such a big opportunity.

There was no turning back now. Mikan Sakura was ready for the danger that lay ahead.

**-(Preview)-**

She studied him closely, unable to find any faults about his appearance. **"Amazing…"**

He was quite charming… His voice was silk-like smooth and strangely hypnotic

"**What if he manages to fool you in the end?"**

**.**

Here's another update for you guys! Special thanks to my good friend,** jAyesque** for looking over this chapter for me. I appreciate it so much, girl!

I hope you guys enjoyed chapter four! I know that you are all dying to see Natsume and Mikan meet up, already. But you won't believe what happens next^^

Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to leave a review. I'm trying to stay motivated for these incoming updates. *fist pump* :)


	6. We Meet at Last

**Disclaimer: **Nope.

**.**

"Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny!"

**-The Shining (1980)**

**Chapter 5: We Meet at Last**

**.**

**B.F. Changs, 10:30 pm…**

A late night consisted of awaiting customers dressed in fine tuxedos and glamorous dresses.

Limos were parked just outside of the largely constructed building of marble. People gradually started making their appointed arrival as they entered inside of the five-star restaurant.

The crowd gradually started to get bigger with reporters and cameramen lurking at just about every corner.

Conversations over how the legendary assassin planned on making his grand entrance became the talk of the restaurant.

Delighted by all of the welcoming publicity, the restaurant manager pranced about, hoping to get a good chance at being in the spotlight while bragging about how his restaurant was the star attraction for the night.

The many clanks of cheers from wine glasses echoed aloud along with idle chatter and laughter. Tables were decorated with the deluxe splendor of the finest Chinese cuisine.

Sitting secluded to a table of her own, a brunette continued her routine for tearing up pieces of paper from her napkin of silverware and sighed.

The long night was just getting started, but she could care less about what such a luxurious restaurant had to offer. It was already bad enough that she was forced into wearing a dress, but sitting around doing nothing was just… killing her.

Her eyes rolled at the many guests who were taking their time chatting, smiling, and eating comfortably without a care in the world.

She ignored the admirable glances being sent her way from the many watching eyes of handsome men that passed by her table.

Every now and then, one of them would send a flirtatious grin her way, taking notice that she was alone, and would ask to accompany her in the hopes of light conversation.

"May I join you?"

Mikan lazily tore her eyes from her torn shreds of napkin as she looked up. She basked a fake smile and irresolutely answered, "No thanks…"

After turning down another annoying suitor, she sighed and fiddled her fingers with her necklace. She smiled to herself, admiring the orange stone as she twirled it within her hands.

She was glad that she had decided to wear it. Such a loving, memorable keepsake from her parents always seemed to bring a share of relief when she felt nervous or alone.

After pecking a light kiss to the stone, she sighed again, cupping her chin while circling a finger around the rim of her empty glass.

Giving another dejected sigh, she blew the few brown wisps of her bangs away from her face. "This is so boring…"

Her eyes spared a quick glimpse at a large clock hanging on a wall closest to her as she groaned aloud.

It was way past ten o' clock. Just how long did she have to sit here and wait until the notorious assassin showed his face?

"May I join you?"

That one sentence was enough to make Mikan's blood boil after hearing those same words for nearly the tenth time. That was it.

She huffed out a sigh, rolled her eyes, and slowly turned her head, ready to shut down the annoying request once and for all. "No thank you. I'd much rather just sit here my..."

Her stern voice for declination trailed off into silence with her throat going dry. She gulped, her body freezing in place as she witnessed the beautiful creature before her.

He was… practically gorgeous?

Looking like a picture shot straight from out of a modeling catalog, he was dressed in a fashionable black tuxedo, where the muscular features of his chest were definably outlined. His hair was the color of night and his disarrayed black bangs spilled ever so perfectly over his face.

What took Mikan by surprise the most was the radiant color stemming from his eyes. They were a lively, attractive color of coated caramel and a dark brown. It was like staring back at a live portrait ─ the man was literally a beautiful work of art.

Mikan didn't know how to react. Her first action was to simply turn him down, make him go away, and have him leave her in peace. But after seeing this handsome guy pop right out of nowhere… what could she say?

One of his brows rose as he pocketed both hands while asking, "Have I been turned down?"

Mikan blinked twice in response. "Ah… W-what did you…?"

Seriously, what was wrong with her right now? Her voice box wasn't working and her throat was drier than a desert for crying out loud.

The man closed his eyes with a small grin playing from the corners of his lips. He opened them, settling his look of amusement upon the brunette. "I asked if I could join you at your table. Or… have I lost that privilege?"

"Ah! N-no!" Mikan waved her hand in the air and quickly added, "I-I mean, y-yes! You may join me. I don't m-mind at all, sir." She scooted her chair a little to the right and gestured her hand to the vacant seat beside her, "Please."

She watched in silence, or more so in _admiration_ as the handsome young man situated himself down in a seat.

For some reason the image of _Twilight's_, _Edward Cullen _was imprinted within her mind as she watched his swift movement and graceful features.

Who knew that someone could make sitting down in a chair look so… strangely beautiful?

After making himself comfortable, his brown eyes flickered over to the brunette who was quick to look away. She focused on her lap, playing with her fingers while twirling them together.

"Did you come here alone?" he suddenly asked her.

"Eh?" Mikan lifted her head, forcing herself to look at him but only for a count of five measly seconds. She turned her attention to her empty wine glass and shook her head. "No… I mean… Well, sort of."

She bit her lip, mentally cursing to herself for acting like some timid little schoolgirl. What the hell was wrong with her right now?

"That right?" the man said, leaning back a little in his chair with a quizzical brow. "You came here alone and with someone else all at the same time?"

Mikan shook her head again. "Ah… That's not what I meant." She put a hand to her head and sighed. "I meant that I came here with some friends, but… Well, I'd much rather keep to myself for the moment, that's all."

Quirking another brow at her final answer, the man chuckled a little to himself and shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said, placing an elbow upon the edge of the table. "It's not like I'm trying to interrogate you or anything. Relax."

The brunette felt the hairs of her arms rising at the mellow sound of the man's voice.

Mikan snorted at the lame thought. When the hell did she ever think highly of a man's voice, let alone think highly of a man at all? This wasn't like her…

"So then," she started, clearing her throat in attempt to look at her handsome guest fully, "did you… come here alone, by any chance?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "More or less," he replied blandly. "I kept hearing a lot about this restaurant, and decided to come check it out. I'm not really a… _regular_ so to speak."

Mikan nodded, musing over that fact. "Hm. That's pretty interesting." She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "It's my first time here as well. I guess you could say that we're like… new customer buddies or something… like that." She cursed a little under her breath, scolding herself for saying something so incredibly stupid.

The man responded with a small grin, lips twitching like he was fighting back a laugh. "I'd say that you're pretty interesting instead."

Mikan blushed and pointed to herself. "Me? Interesting? Y-you think so?"

"Very," the man answered in a matter of fact tone, grinning again in a way that nearly put a stop to the woman's heart. He turned his body slightly with a wave of his hand and signaled for a waiter to usher over a bottle of wine.

Mikan took the time to study his features a little more, taking in the muscular outline of his jawbone and the construction of his neck.

His raven hair looked so kempt and silky sheen that it made her want to run her fingers through his dark tresses. She could even swear that the faint scent of cinnamon and wood was whipping through the air from his clothes.

She studied him closely, unable to find any faults about his appearance. "Amazing…"

The waiter approached the pair with a bottle of red wine, and after setting it upon the table, bowed respectfully to his guests before taking his leave.

Sighing a little to himself, the handsome young man poured himself a glass of wine and looked over to the brunette who was still caught in a daze. He held up the bottle of wine, "Would you like some?"

Mikan nodded weakly and was about to pick up her glass until suddenly…

"No need."

A hand reached out for the glass instead.

Being quite the gentleman, the handsome guest tipped the bottle of wine at the edge of Mikan's glass, filling it up with the majestic liquid color of red. He smiled while sliding the glass back over to the brunette. "It's faster if you let a pro do it for you instead," he said, smirking at the end of his sentence.

Mikan blushed and nodded, "Thank you." She took a small sip from her glass. Her nose wrinkled in disgust with a small gag and she smiled wistfully. "It's… got a pretty strong taste to it."

The man clicked his tongue as he said, "I take it that you don't drink much."

Taking notice of the hint of sarcasm embedded within his voice, Mikan ceased from taking another sip of wine and looked at him fully.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, feeling a little offended. She crossed both arms over her chest. "Just so you know I happen to be twenty-one years old."

"I'm sorry," the man chuckled, apparently amused. "I wasn't trying to mock your… age or anything like that. It's just…"

Mikan arched a brow. "It's just what?"

The man shrugged. "It's just that you seem, well… like a little girl." He snorted at her narrowed glare and added, "I meant by the way that you hold your glass. It's obvious that you're not a big fan of wine."

Mikan blinked twice, unsure as how to take those words. "N-no, I'm not." She cleared her throat and sat upright in her chair. "But I could drink it whenever I want to."

"No one said that you couldn't," the man chuckled. He shrugged again. "You're twenty-one after all."

"That's right," Mikan nodded, forcing another sip of wine down her throat. She puckered her lips at the strong taste and felt annoyed by the young man's taunting grin of mockery. Her brows furrowed together. "You know what?"

Arching another brow, the man drawled, "What?"

"…You're kind of annoying."

Smiling a little to himself, the man closed his eyes and shrugged. "That's not the first time I've had someone tell me that." He opened his dark pools of brown where a hint of amusement flickered within them. "I've been called worse."

Feeling another heated blush coming on, Mikan shifted in her seat and snorted. What a jerk… Couldn't he tell that he was getting under her skin?

Still, she found it rather strange, being able to feel so comfortable with such a handsome stranger whereas she could talk freely and no longer felt shy. It was almost like bickering back and forth with Shiro. Only difference was the fact that this man had this mysterious… _aura_ about him.

He was quite charming. His voice was silk-like smooth and strangely hypnotic. Never in her life did she imagine being attracted to such a man before.

"What's your name?" his husky voice suddenly asked her.

The brunette snapped out of her trance and smiled. "M-my name is Mikan," she said, extending a hand to the handsome stranger. "Mikan Sakura. What's your name?"

Giving a small smile of his own, the man nodded and completed the handshake. "Kota," he replied plainly. "It's a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman like yourself, Mikan Sakura."

Mikan didn't bother fighting back her blush this time. Her brown orbs gazed on in admiration at the beautiful stranger as she smiled brightly. "No, the pleasure's all mine."

"Well, Miss Sakura," Kota sighed, getting comfortable in his seat. He leaned on the side of his elbow and gestured a hand towards the brunette, "Tell me about yourself. What are your hobbies?"

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Mikan asked, crossing one of her slender legs over the other. She folded both hands underneath her chin and smiled. "I mean if you're the one interested in learning about me, I think it's only fair that you start off talking about yourself, first."

Kota smirked at the smart remark. "Fair enough," he agreed. He cupped the side of his face inside the palm of his hand. "Well, let's see, we've already familiarized ourselves with names. Anyway, I'm twenty-four years old and I work as a professional businessman underneath my father. He owns a well-known corporation industry in America, China, as well as many other countries." He shrugged and added, "As for me, I like to travel. Although business runs in my blood, I'm more prone to sticking with the joys of exploring the world. It's my dream to travel to every country possible."

Mikan marveled at the facts and whistled with a clap of her hands. "That's amazing!" she exclaimed. She grinned and arched a skeptic brow. "Wow, and honestly, you look more like the laid-back _'I get paid because I'm cool like that,'_ type of guy."

Kota placed both of his knuckles underneath his chin and grinned mischievously. "Looks can be deceiving, Miss Sakura…" He gestured his head for the woman to continue with the conversation. "Well? What about you?"

Not really sure how to begin, Mikan scratched at her nose. "I'm… Well, I work under my uncle as a special part of the police forces at Alice Headquarters. I'm one of the tops spies that work with the justice defense to help capture worldly dangerous assassins." She smiled and said, "I've been working there for so long that I kind of lost track of the years. But despite all of the hard work, I love it!"

Kota nodded with a light whistle of his own. "Very nice. Well, what about your goals? Any Dreams? Ambitions?"

Mikan opened her mouth to speak, but paused on the words to come. "I have just one," she whispered a little to herself. "It's my dream… Wait, no... It's my mission to find and capture Natsume Hyuuga."

Suddenly interested in the topic of subject, Kota arched a quizzical brow. "Natsume Hyuuga? You mean the legendary assassin that the whole world is practically talking about?"

"Yes," Mikan nodded confidently.

She fiddled with her wine glass in between her hands, brows slightly furrowed together as she bit her lip. Bitter memories from her past started to eat at her on the inside.

"You might not know this, Kota, but… I didn't have a rich and happy childhood like you probably did while growing up. No, I've… I've seen a lot more blood in my life as a child." She tucked a few of her auburn strands behind her ear and smiled. "But everything changed when my uncle Kazumi decided to take me in as his own. He taught me how to live, how to smile, and how to live by the word, justice. Ever since then, I've devoted myself to catching every deadly assassin that threatens the peace. And Natsume Hyuuga has been my primary goal." She shook her head a little to herself. "I've been hunting that man for years... He's evaded my hands for the longest but I'm determined to catch him."

Kota studied the little brunette in front of him. A small grin curved at the corners of his lips. The sincere will and sheer resolve in the woman's voice seemed to amuse him.

He arched a curious brow. "Why is that? What could you possibly gain by catching a dangerous man like him?"

Mikan frowned. "Gain?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at the word. "The only thing that I could ever _gain_ would be the content of happiness. It would be the happiness of those who continue to live in fear because of his haunting presence." She traced a finger over the rim of her glass, frowning to herself in thought. "That man is a menace ─ a monster. He kills for the fun of it and continues to terrorize this city by leaving unnecessary card games of when and what he'll do next. It's l-like… he _enjoys_ playing cat and mouse with me."

Her eyes held determination and courage, something that seemed to interest Kota even more. He arched another brow to urge the brunette to continue.

Mikan snorted under her breath. "He's always testing me… teasing me to see how I'll manage to keep up with his pace. There has never been an assassin that I haven't been able to catch, not one. But… he's the only thing that haunts my mind. He's the only thing that makes me feel unsafe." She pulled at the necklace on her neck, brushing a finger over the orange stone. "He reminds me of a bitter past… No matter what, I have to catch him."

Kota stared at the woman for a while. "You sound determined," his monotone voice stated.

"Of course I am," Mikan said like the answer was obvious.

Musing to himself in thought, Kota muttered a small "Hm," and closed his eyes. "You know," he started, taking a small sip of wine from his glass, "there's been talk that the said notorious killer, Natsume Hyuuga, is supposed to be showing up at this very restaurant, accompanied by a beautiful woman, right upon this very night." He looked back to the brunette with curiosity. "Is that why you're here?"

Mikan nodded, "Yes. I'll stop at nothing until he's finally in my hands. He's managed to slip by me so many times… But tonight will definitely be different."

"What if he manages to fool you in the end?" Kota asked while grinning at the woman's frustrated expression.

"That's not going to happen," Mikan answered confident. Her brown eyes were full of certainty. "I'll definitely win this time."

Kota arched a brow. "That's… interesting."

A seductive smirk thinned at his lips, causing the brunette to stiffen on edge. She could practically hear the pounding of her heart rupturing against the inside of her chest as she stared back at his caramel-glazed pools.

She bit her lip and picked up her glass to get a good sip of her drink.

_Calm down, Mikan,_ she told herself. _You're not here for light conversation. You've got a job to do. Focus._

Enjoying the amusement, Kota smiled and picked up his glass to take a sip of wine.

Suddenly, he noticed a small flash of light reflecting from off of his glass.

His lips paused at the rim of his cup with his brows creasing together at the odd gleam. Using his peripheral vision, slowly, his brown pupils shifted over to look from out of the corner of his eye.

At that moment he took notice of a figure looming in the shadows behind a tall pillar just a few feet away.

He was hiding in the midst of a bamboo plant, almost like camouflage as he stood crouching down. The sudden flash of light flickered again and then, the tip of a gun gradually slid its way out from in between the bamboo leaves.

Kota snorted a little under his breath. _So, it's going to be like that, huh… _

Doing his best to remain calm and collected, he closed his eyes and resumed to taking a quick sip of wine from his glass. "Mikan," he called casually.

The brunette looked back at him when he called her name. "Y-yes? What is it?"

Kota finished off the last swig of wine from his glass and gave a small sigh. "I want you to listen to what I'm about to say." His brown eyes locked onto Mikan's hazel orbs. "No matter what, you have to trust me. Okay?"

Feeling the sudden tense aura, Mikan cocked her head to the side and frowned. "W-what are you…?" She noticed him scoot his chair a little closer to her as he leaned over towards her on the table. Her brows rose in skepticism. "K-Kota? What is it, what's wrong?"

Kota looked off to the side for a brief moment then back to the brunette. "Do exactly as I say. Understand?" He reached out to tuck a few auburn strands behind her ear and smiled in response to her hesitant nod. "Good. Now, I'm going to count to three, and after that, I want you to immediately move to your right. Got it?"

Mikan shifted upright in her seat and nodded, "Y-yes?"

"Alright now," Kota whispered, signaling her with a finger. He slowly counted, "One… Two…" His brown eyes narrowed together as he put a hand on Mikan's shoulder, and then he suddenly shouted, "Three!"

_**Bang! Bang! Bang!**_

"Ah!"

Surprised by the shocking sound of a gun firing off, Mikan suddenly found herself being pushed out of her chair and onto the ground. Her communicator suddenly fell out of her ear and slid across the marble floor.

Kota went down along with her while putting a hand upon her shoulder as he hovered over her small frame. "Stay down," he ordered authoritatively.

_**Bang!**_

Mikan winced in response to another bullet while covering her ears. She lifted her head and turned to the man still hovering on top of her. "What's going on?" she demanded.

Kota pushed her head back down, forcing them both to duck as another bullet came flying in their direction.

He snorted, "You're a cop, right? Isn't it obvious?" His brows knitted together with a click of his tongue. "It's an ambush."

Suddenly, he rose up and dived to the floor as another bullet came flying his way. He was only a few inches away from the brunette and raised a hand, signaling her not to move.

Mikan gawked back at him like he was a mad man. "W-what are you─?"

_**Bang! Bang! **_

More bullets sounded off.

Suddenly, three men dressed in all black appeared from behind the pillar of the restaurant as they came running out with model shotguns.

The cracking sound of their guns roared aloud as they steadied their aim, causing an uproar to commence. People began running amuck like a herd of bull with screams and shrieks filling the entire building.

"Ah! Run! They have guns!"

"It's a shootout! Everybody run for your lives!"

Six more gunshots were fired towards Mikan and Kota's direction.

Still doing his best to hide, Kota knocked over a table and crouched down behind the white tablecloth. He cursed under his breath and made another dive closer towards one of the gunmen.

Unable to believe what the hell was happening; Mikan gaped at the scene before her and shrieked, "Kota!"

This was strange… How come it looked like every shot being fired was directed solely at him?

She tried to wave him back over but to no avail. "Kota, what the hell are you doing? You should try to evacuate with everyone else too! Kota!"

"_Mi...__kan!" _

Hearing the sudden call of her name, Mikan gasped and looked about her surroundings. It was Shiro's voice…

Her eyes settled upon her earpiece communicator seen just a few feet away and she felt an overwhelming sense of relief come over her.

"_Mikan!" _Shiro's voice broke through the static once more. _"Mikan! Where are you?"_

The brunette crawled on all fours across the marble floor and dived for her communicator. She cradled it within her hands while pressing the button and desperately called out, "Shiro!" Her hands were shaking from the pumping adrenaline. "Shiro, can you hear me?"

There was a slight, stagnant pause before Shiro's voice responded. _"Yeah, I can hear you alright," _he answered through another background of broken static. _"I'm on the east wing of the restaurant. And get this. Some blacklisted assassins wearing red masks are suddenly showing up left and right. I'd say there are about three to four of them over in this area."_

"Same here," Mikan answered with a nod, watching as more people were swarming out of the building from the tumultuous fire of shots. "I'm still in the dining hall of the restaurant with a civilian."

"_What!" _Shiro exclaimed. He groaned while muttering a curse of breath. _"Ah, hell, Mikan… W-what are you doing? You both need to get outta there!"_

Two more sudden shots bellowing from the sound of a cracking gun erupted. Mikan ducked her head to dodge the bullets as she mouthed a small, "Damn," while trying to remain unseen.

"I'm… trying," she retorted in between pants. "It's kind of impossible at the moment. For some reason, the gunmen keep shooting in our direction, so I'm going to try and..."

Her words ceased once she realized that she was no longer alone.

She gulped slowly and hesitantly lifted her head as she found herself coming face to face with one of the gunmen decked in black.

His face was covered with a bright red Hannya mask that brought forth an evil and ominous aura. The rays of light reflected from off of his red mask, making him look like that of a monster.

Mikan gasped, surprised by the wicked appearance as she found herself stumbling backwards onto her back. She stared up in awe at the devilish mask.

Intrigued, the gunman slowly cocked his head to the side as if deciphering the woman's actions, and then pointed his gun at his prey. Mikan watched in horror as he was about to pull the trigger, until suddenly…

"Get down!"

As if on cue, Kota came rushing to her aid as he pushed her away while dodging one of the fired shots in the process. He landed a nice kick to the gunman and snatched up the rifle before landing a nice shot in return.

Mikan gasped, taken aback by his sudden actions. "Kota…!" she exclaimed in surprise. "W-when did you… H-how did you…?"

Kota sighed aloud and turned back to the brunette. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

Mikan blinked back aloof and looked up at him in uncertainty. "Y-yeah," she nodded weakly. "What about you?"

Not bothering to respond, Kota simply grunted and forcibly pulled the woman up by her arm. "Let's go, follow me."

Mikan didn't even get a chance to reply as she suddenly found herself being pulled along down the hall. She stumbled in her heels, doing her best to keep up with the man's long strides while being hauled along by the wrist. There were so many things that just didn't make sense.

Just what the hell was happening right now…?

"Where are we going?" she demanded, still tripping in her heels.

Kota responded with another grunt and tugged harder at her arm. "Just hurry up."

They gradually made their way outside through the double-glass door exit of the restaurant and headed downwards towards a step of stairs.

Then suddenly, right at that very moment, four men dressed in black suddenly jumped down from off the top of the roof and started dashing towards their direction.

Mikan gasped, taking notice of their red Hannya masks, and widened her eyes at the sight of guns being pointed her way. "They're following us, Kota!" she screamed in alarm.

Appearing just as collected as ever, Kota panted between breaths and snickered. "Fine with me," he said with a devious smirk.

The two of them continued to make their way down the stairs. Turning a sharp corner to the left, Kota swung Mikan around his body so hard that she shrieked while falling with a hard given thud.

He signaled a hand for her to stay put. "Stay down," he demanded.

Just before Mikan could demand what was going on, her jaw dropped with a shocking gasp. "Kota!" she shouted, pointing her finger up above. "Look out!"

Kota followed her finger in said direction and cursed under his breath.

The four gunmen suddenly appeared, jumping down from the set of stairs and into the air with their red masks glistening from the luminous beams of the moonlit sky.

One of them aimed a gun in Kota's direction and fired a shot as another loud bang cracked aloud into the dark night air.

Kota dodged the bullet with ease and staggered backwards, only to find another enemy landing just behind him. He gave a disapproving click of his tongue and snorted. The annoying bastards…

Witnessing a gun being pointed in his face, he froze for only a small fracture of a second, and bent his back with a flexible flip while aiming a good kick to the gun as it went flying into the air.

Mikan watched in awe at how flawless his movements were. Did such a man really exist…?

Finishing off his final move, Kota grabbed the gun from out of the air, and was quick to fire a good, two clean shots at his enemy. But his work was hardly over.

Appearing from behind, the three remaining gunmen came in for the kill. One of them whipped out a small bomb and threw it down to the ground as a massive air of smoke was released.

Caught in the aftermath, Kota was swarmed from all around while using his arms to shield himself from harm. Watching in horror, Mikan stood up and ran to his aid, hoping to be able to do something. She suddenly stopped short, coughing from the fumes of smoke and gritted her teeth in frustration for feeling so useless.

"Damn… I knew that I should've brought a gun." She furrowed her brows while pulling out her communicator and shouted, "Shiro! Shiro, can you hear me?" The only response she received was broken static. "Shiro!"

_**Bang!**_

A sudden shot was fired in her direction.

She shrieked, diving to the ground and looked up in horror to find one of the gunmen approaching her. Unsure of what to do, Mikan froze on the spot and looked on as a gun was being pointed at her face.

Suddenly, two loud shots fired off with Kota rapidly appearing from out of the ball of smoke. He came to land in front of the brunette, pointed his gun, and fired three good shots before the gunman had a chance to react.

Snorting under his breath, he turned his burning glare of frustration to the foolish woman. "I told you to stay down," he hissed out.

Mikan flinched back in response to his icy tone. "S-sorry…"

She gulped and slowly trailed her sight over to the fumes of smoke which was decreasing rapidly. Her eyes widened in awe at the sight before her as she found two inanimate bodies lying lifelessly on the ground in a pool of blood.

Releasing a small gasp, Mikan covered her mouth and slowly looked up at the man beside her. "Kota… H-how did you…?"

"Just as swift as ever I see…"

A sudden snake-like voice came about.

Both Mikan and Kota turned their heads to find a dark figure slowly stepping his way out from the shadows of a dark corner.

He was dressed in all-black attire, and attached to the side of his waist was a long, black rifle. He slowly lifted his red mask away from his face, allowing his long black tresses to fall at his shoulders.

His dark eyes flickered with a murderous intent as he smiled viciously. "I've finally found you…"

Mikan felt her entire body stiffen on edge just by breathing in his evil aura. "This… isn't happening."

The mysterious stranger looked at Kota and snorted in disgust. "I've waited years to finally get you alone by yourself. And now my moment of time for killing you has finally come." His brows furrowed together as he mouthed the name, "Natsume Hyuuga…"

That one name was enough to make Mikan's heart skip a beat.

She frowned and looked back to Kota in alarm. "What…?"

Kota kept his face heavily guarded as he slowly made his way to stand just a few feet away from the man in front of him. He tilted his head a little to the side as his monotone voice muttered, "Sasori Hannya..."

Sasori snorted with a smirk at the mention of his name. "The Hannya family has been an enemy of the Mouri family for centuries," he said, gradually pulling out his rifle from the side of his waist. "Natsume Hyuuga, second in command of the Mouri family, and I, Sasori, second head of the Hannya family… It was only natural that our fates would cross one day." Another vicious grin formed at his lips as he licked the tip of his rifle. "Your death will please my family greatly. There can only be one great name of assassins in this world."

Appearing unfazed, Kota said nothing as he shoved both hands into his pockets while keeping a nonchalant expression among his uncaring facade.

This only seemed to upset Sasori. One of his brows twitched as he grunted under his breath while steadying his rifle in hand. "Your life is mine!" He cocked back the trigger to his rifle, laughed in a ghastly manner, and then shouted, "Die Natsume Hyuuga!"

The cracking fire from his gun sounded off as the bullet aimed for his target, but then…

_**Whoosh!**_

The target disappeared with the bullet missing its aim completely.

Sasori gasped in shock and then, a sudden chill caught him from behind. Slowly but carefully, he turned his head, his eyes widening in horror to find a dark shadow looming behind him along with a devilish smirk.

Another gunshot sounded off into the cold night air.

Unable to comprehend what had just happened, Sasori stood frozen still for a silent count of five seconds, then suddenly, he felt his entire body become rather… cold.

He dropped to his knees and fell face forward to the ground. Clutching a hand to his chest, he felt the warmth of his blood oozing out from his seeping wound. His jaw clenched tightly as he looked up at the one responsible. His eyes locked onto the color of dark brown and he cursed under his breath.

"N-no… this… cannot happen… to me…" Sasori's jaw tightened with blood sipping through his gritted teeth. He desperately reached out his arm. "Not to me… The Great Sasori… of the Hannya family… I won't lose like this… I won't─"

He didn't get another say.

Three firing rounds of gunshots to the head were all it took to silence the dying Sasori once and for all.

His body lay lifelessly limp within his own pool of blood.

Snorting under his breath, Kota casually strolled his way over towards the dead body and gave a light kick to its head.

"You simplistic fool," his voice rasped out, sneering in mockery. "That's what happens when you decide to act so recklessly. The Hannya family is filled with gullible idiots like you…"

Mikan was still hyperventilating in her own silent shock as she sat on the ground. This wasn't happening… This just couldn't be happening…!

The man before her… he was still, Kota… wasn't he? She bit her lip, pondering over that thought.

No… His voice was different somehow. It was more lethal, cold, and velvet-like smooth with a hint of hatred.

"_Mi…kan…!" _

Mikan gasped and looked down to find her communicator on the ground. She became hopeful as her voice hushed out in a low whisper, "Shiro…"

"_Mikan… Meet me… back at the eastern side of the restaurant." _The broken static was making it rather difficult for her to hear anything. Shiro's voice wasn't able to get through to her all the way. _"Mikan… Where are you, Mikan…?"_

The distant trail of footsteps came about, gradually getting louder and louder as a pair of long legs came to stand in front of the brunette.

"_Mi...kan! __Where are─__"_

_**Crack! **_

Shiro's voice disappeared instantly as a foot came crashing down on top of the communicator, breaking it in the process.

Mikan gasped, slowly trailing up from the sight of long constructed legs, and all the way up to a handsome face. She hesitated on the name as she whispered, "Kota…?"

The young man clicked his tongue followed by a sigh. "Sorry," he said, repeating the few stomps from his foot to the broken communicator, "but I'd rather not have any more interruptions from now on." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's a shame that we couldn't finish up our conversation back in the restaurant, don't you think?"

"Ah… Ah…" Mikan didn't know how to react. The imprinted image of the charming Kota from the restaurant was still replaying in her mind. But this… didn't make sense.

The young man looked back to the dead body of Sasori and snickered while discarding his gun to the ground. "Trying to ambush me of all times like this…"

He sighed and used his fingers to pull out a pair of contacts from his eyes.

Flicking the contact lids away, he brushed off his hands while giving a good pop to his neck. "It's a shame that I didn't have my blade with me, tonight. Guns aren't really my style."

Mikan felt her heart skip a beat as she suddenly witnessed a pair of crimson red eyes.

That color… That overwhelming pair of red orbs like that of a monster…

"You…!" she pointed accusingly. Her hazel orbs widened in horror as her lips quivered out, "Y-you can't be… A-are you really…?"

Looking down at the brunette with a quirking brow, the young man's red eyes flickered with amusement.

"Oh, that's right," he said as if recalling a sudden memory. "We haven't been properly introduced yet, have we? Oh well…" He shrugged and moved a few steps closer towards the frightened woman. "It's better this way, right? I mean, you've been trying so hard to catch me, so I decided to make it easier for you this time and come to you instead."

Mikan didn't know what to say, for she was at a loss for words. She gazed on at the beautiful yet deadly creature before her.

His raven hair blew gallantly with the cold night air, and his crimson red eyes shone brilliantly coming from the illuminating moonlight.

He pocketed both hands as he moved a step closer to the awestruck brunette.

"Here I am. The monster that you've been hunting for." A wicked grin curved from the corners of his lips. "Hello, Mikan Sakura. My name is Natsume Hyuuga."

**-(Preview)-**

Reo Mouri… That was a name that she could never forget.

Mikan shook her head slowly in disbelief. **"No way…"**

"**Well, Mikan Sakura," **he started coolly. **"I hope you're ready for a long ride. You'll be coming back with me." **

**.**

Here's another update as promised!

Special thanks to **Guest, Gem and Pearls, hjdvhusd, and m.t**. for the awesome reviews.

And Natsume finally appears! It probably came a little different than what you expected though, huh? ^^

Thanks so much for reading! Don't forget to review if you have the time, please and thank you.


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